The Seals of destruction
by Shadowcalic
Summary: It was a long time ago, none seem to remember an event so cataclysmic that would have brought war to all the continent. Like if it never happened, Daein managed to erase everything. This tale lives only in the memories of those that didn't give up on it.
1. The beggining

**BioshadowYet again another story, this one will take place before and with FIRE EMBLEM PATH OF RIDDANCE, so expect some of the characters of the game.**

**Edit: I kinda rewrote the chapter all over, since I felt there were some parts lacking and to get the chapters narration scheme the same as the latter episodes. As always, write reviews if you like, or if you don't. Just don't go flaming me for no reason.**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from fire emblem, except for my own characters.**

**It's all so foggy, I can't remember anything… Where am I? This place is so familiar, why? What's that smell? Blood? Is it my own blood? … No, I can feel more people here. They're talking; I can hear them but… I don't understand anything… I feel so… tired, what happened? Someone has me surrounded with her arms… My mother? I can't feel her breath; her hands are so cold… Am I covered in her blood? … My father, where is he? His body is next to me… at least, it seems so, is he alive? … No, his heart has stopped; I can't feel its beats… M-my sister, she is not here, a soldier is carrying her, I understood something… Fainted…**

**I can barely open my eyes; my arms, my legs, I cannot move them… There's another person with the soldiers, a young woman; her face, she is so familiar, but why? … She is walking in my direction… Why am I so scared? …Her golden eyes, they're not human; why her sole eyes bring so much fear upon me? …That evil grin on her face… Am I going to die? … That golden dagger… It's so familiar too… The edge is covered in blood… Her lips are moving; is she telling me something? …No, she is casting some sort of spell, because the golden dagger is glowing red now… She… She stabbed m-me? …Weird, I don't feel any pain… Wha…? She is lifting me with so much ease… she put her other hand in front of her face… she is casting another spell… The rest of my energy is being drained, it's painful now…**

**Now I can't move my body at all, my head is going limp, I can't control my head… I- is that my body on the ground? What's going on? … She is retracting her hand… I'm falling to ground; the pain is too much to bear… I'm bleeding… That girl, what did she do? … She is heading with the soldiers; they're talking about something… I don't understand a word…The girl… She is looking back at me, my body is being filled with fear again… yet… she is directly in front of my now, she's kneeling down… Her face is getting closer… Dammit, I can't move at all… Her lips are t-touching mine… Is she kissing me? … Why? … I don't understand anything… One of the soldiers is shouting, he looks worried. The young girl, she is now reaching her weapon… A red cat is slaughtering the soldier; it's all so fast; another soldier is yelling in pain… A battle is going on; I know it… but… I'm so tired, I'm falling sleep…**

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**The beginning: A tale about a boy**

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**"Is he alright?" A worried voice...  
**

**"It seems so, but he needs to stay here more, for his sake." Two people are talking...  
**

**"Can I stay with him, at least for the night, please?" That person...  
**

**"… (Sigh) Okay, but don't disturb the sleep of the other patients" I think I know them...  
**

**"Thank you, gramps!"**

**...  
**

** What happened...? Where am I…? May head... it's all too blurry and I feel sickly... this place... it's all dark but I can still see it somehow, this looks like some kind of rest home… Huh...? To my right, brown hairs spread all across her face and on the mattress, the girl sleeping on a chair next to me… I think I recognize her… "Mina? Is that you?"**

**"Wha…? Who's there?" The young girl says, rubbing her eyes, still half-sleep**

**"Mina, what are you doing here?" ... Wait, that was the wrong question... If I'm in a rest home... that means...  
**

**"I'm taking care of you, silly!" Mina just chuckles and gives me a warm smile, yeah, I knew ti was the wrong question. What I want to know is how I got here, "Mina..."-"Wait here, I'll tell the doctor you woke up" Her voice overlaps mine and before I can do anything, she rushes out of the room. Mina… thanks for being kind to me... here she comes.**

**"So you finally woke up" Mister Carseno, Mina's adoptive grandfather, comes in, he looks a bit troubled...**

**"I guess... Mister Carseno, what happened?" I can't shake the feeling... My memories are still vague but I remember being accosted by some weird girl...  
**

**"Well, you've been out for 5 days now. We were hoping you told us, we found you right across from the hospital" Mister Carseno explains while putting his bifocals on. "Although" He continues, why am I so anxious...? "The wounds in your body points a laguz attack" WHAT?!?  
**

**"It can't be, I know the only Laguz in the area, and they're friendly! They wouldn't attack me, even their kids are friends of mine" Gah... the room is being filled with a strange, almost painful silence, the look on both of their faces... Mina looks so distressed...  
**

**"Sorry, but the marks in your skin tells a different story" Mister Carseno says in a very serious manner. I know it can't be true, I don't want to listen anymore! "Listen, they couldn't...!" I yell, but a sudden feeling is stopping me... Mina holds my hand with hers shaking her head, telling me with her eyes to stop.**

**

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**

**That was 7 days ago, It took me a couple of days but I felt better and the doctors let me go. Naturally I walked to my house, I couldn't abandon the feeling... of helplessness, I knew that if I came back... I would find something I didn't want to find, I don't know how exactly but my mind seemed to block what had happened that day at my house... I was shocked, at the scene, I didn't remember it being so loathsome or disgusting, blood splattered all over the ground... and the decaying bodies... My mother and my father... they deserved better than to decay out in the open or being killed for that matter... The thought then came... follow those men... they still have her... but what could I do...? I'd get lost... or get killed if I really found them... taking into account what they did to me that night... I couldn't bear with it, I was discouraged, I couldn't help my baby sister... even more... I was completely alone... It hurt but I knew nobody would ever come and help me... a 15 years old kid fighting all alone to keep existing such a meaningless life... it was truly unbearable...  
**

**Days passed by, with no sign of anything getting better, Mina came by the house every day, checking up on me, it's was hard, but I was getting the hang of things... It became peaceful... no attacks whatsoever, like some kind of calm before the storm... I wished for it to keep like that but... one day, without warning, word came by that another kid was attacked, it was the laguz that saved him from death by risking they're very own lives just taking him to the rest home, I couldn't believe everyone thought the Laguz were doing those horrible deeds. Then, again, another attack, this time with fatal consequences, the laguz intervened again... but the kid didn't make it to the rest home... it was a tragedy that everyone else besides me where blind to the truth... It was disheartening to hear Mina say that I shouldn't talk to them anymore...  
**

**I couldn't help it, the laguz and Mina are my only other family in town... if I didn't talk to them soon... I thought I might go crazy... I had only my father's sword to spar, and spar I did... trying to keep my head off things, or at least, thinking that next time I wouldn't just get stabbed without doing something before...**

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**"Nooo!!!" What? That scream, it came from the woods near here!  
**

**"Agh... Stop!!!" It sounds like someone is really in trouble, it sounds far, but I might make if I run.  
**

**Why do I have this feeling? I anxious, it's no use hiding that fact, but I'm worried that I feel so... expectant, I'm hoping for something to happen...!!! That stench... blood? Damn! Why do I feel like if I was looking forward to this?  
**

** Over there... there's a strange glow coming from where the shouts came.  
**

**My heart is rising, to my relief, it's pounding hard out of fear, because there's something more now, the sound of metal clashing, loud footsteps, the soldiers screaming like mad, the sounds of a battle... It might be bad if I get caught in it... but I already came all the way here... I would take a peep, but the light is too bright, and it feels hot too... like, way too hot...  
**

**Huh? The light, is fading slightly, I have to move now or... Th-the green-haired girl! The same girl from before that awful night! Appearing out of the light like some kind of horrible nightmare. A golden dagger, that she is holding, is deeply implanted into his stomach! The sound of something dripping, the kids blood, tells me I'm way too late... Darn it, coming all the way here and getting frozen out of fear like this!**

**She smiles devilishly, like if she thought she's just playing some sort of sick prank... It's completely surreal... "ARGH!!!" A soldier suddenly comes into view, or at least, the upper part of his body does as well as a black tiger, while a big, grey cat slashed another soldier's leg. It was the same... The soldiers, that girl, the laguz and the kid... it was all like that day...  
**

**I better stop daydreaming! I might get cut down if I don't do anything! I jump out of the woods with the sword in hand… However, giving just a few steps I find myself unable to move more, the girl stands between me and the kid, holding the dagger at shoulder height "Huh? Schauen Sie, was wir jetzt erhielten, wenn es isn' t das nette Kleinkind wählte ich letzte Woche aus!" She says with with a playful voice, as if recalling some good memories, she gives me a warn smile... Is she kidding? "oh gut, beende ich Sie vorher…****" She says but suddenly leaps to the side avoiding the giant claws of the black tiger that lands in a perfect spot to jump at her again, however he does nothing and instead turns my way.  
**

**The tiger looks fevently into my eyes, like if he was trying to tell me something, the kid... Darn it! I totally forgot about the kid! this isn't time to fool around, I need to take that kid out of here! The tiger's eyes widen as I make a run for it, "Ha ha ha! Wenn das ist, wie es ist, dann holen Sie es!****!" She gives a hollow laugh as she lowers herself in a spring-like motion, she bolts at me, I hold my breath as I keep moving, suddenly, the black blur appears between me and the dagger! "Gah..." She moves to the side and lands swiftly, jumping again to get farther from the tiger****. "Alright!" I quickly take the kid, his chest is still flooding with his blood.  
**

**Shoot, his wound is real bad, he is bleeding too much! I got to hurry if he is to make it! But Likon and the others... the laguz are now back to back, with the green haired girl dancing all around them and more than a couple of soldiers trying to stab them with their spears. As much as I hate being useless, that is not a fight in which I can help them. I finally run, breathing heavily as my clothes get stained with his blood.  
**

**The rest home! I can see it, this close... she might hear from here, "Mina!!!" My voice is so weak, I'm panting and wheezing so hard I can't even speak now, how much did I run anyways? Wait, she's coming out of the rest home! "Hey, Mina!" She finally notices and looks at me "He's hurt!!!" She's just waving her hand at me! Darn it, she can't hear!**

**"Darn it! Mina!!!" I yell with all my strength, still running as fast as I can. Mina jumps in shock, finally noticing the kid in my arms, "Grandfather!!!" She cries and goes into the rest home. Just as I get to the entrance, a group of healers quickly came out.  
**

**"Koel… Wh-what happened?" Mina asks with more concern for me than for the young kid. However, I can't reply yet, I feel like if my heart was just about to explode, I guess I ran for some good 5 miles non-stop.  
**

**There... I take another lungful of air, and sigh in relief, I think I was still in a daze... All thought processes are returning to normal... I just need to cool down now... "I found the boy on the forest, being attacked by a bunch of strangers…" I start, with Mina's inquisitive eyes stuck right on mine...  
**

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**It was a complete madhouse yesterday at the hospital, the kid's family wouldn't believe a single word I said... I'm still tired, but... I have to warn them, it's now or never  
**

**I'm still shaken by what they were saying yesterday, "Damn right, it was those monsters, those sub-humans have to die if we want the attacks to stop!" One of the ladies that were with the boy's mother said. I sure tried to change their mind, but it was to no vail. They wouldn't hear a 'tainted one' such as me...  
**

**I'm still running toward Reguriar's house, the only laguz in the whole area... It's a relief to see that the house's still there... I better warn them now, if not...**

**Stopping for only a moment, to think... I am well aware that I won't be seen with kind eyes if anyone spots me here, but it's not like my family was popular on the town... I knock the door very hard, waiting almost nothing as soon mister Reguriar showed himself.**

**The old man, smiles upon seeing me, "Hey Koel, it's been a while isn't it?" Reguriar says with a giant smile, giving me a back breaking hug.**

**"Agh..." Too... strong... He's gonna... break me! "So tell me son, why are ya here?" He says while releasing me from that mortal lock...  
**

**"Sir, you need to get out of here, the people of the town want to…" I stop, the look on his face... I kind of got scared for a moment, he looked totally different just when I said the town...  
**

**"I already know that"  
**

**"What?" He looks at me with this sad eyes... I'm not sure I want to...  
**

**"Get in now!" He suddenly pulls me inside of the house so hard that I though he was going to rip my arm.  
**

**Taking me to the dinning room, as I enter to the modest room I finally see the faces of Mr. Reguriar's off springs. All of them good friends of mine since childhood. The 20 years old Seid, always serious and cold... Yet, very reliable, I know that whenever Nina is involved, he would always help her, and by collateral damage ending up helping me too, Lykon, 16 years old, the second child... always ready to pick a fight, and maybe not the best person to keep around when you don't want a fight... next to Nina, he is the one I talk to the most. Nina, she's 15 years old and is the 3 child, she's been always close to me, always teasing me into some dangerous stuff, still, very kind and cheerful... and the little Lethe with only 8 years old, she's the cutest, smallest fur ball in all of Tellius, she's been friends with me and my sister... They all have...  
**

**"Hey, heads up!" Lykon suddenly shouts as he disappears into the thin air. Well, leaping faster than the eye can follow is more accurate. "Again with that?" Alright, bring it on! Lykon jumps on me, arms outstretched. There, he always leaves an opening unconsciously whenever he leaps, I throw my arm, barely avoiding his hand, I take him by the elbow and pull hard, redirecting his weight straight into the... "Whoa!!! Aww, darn it, still too good for me, eh Koel?" He says with a smirk while shaking my hand from the ground. "Koel... Good to see you're okay... after what happened yesterday" He looks coldly, but then looks away from my face, moving his lips like if he was saying something to himself...  
**

**"I'll take my leave..." Seid says before vowing and leaves the room without so much as a creak from the floor, as always. "Kolly!!!" That voice, "Nina, how are...?!?" What the...? Before I can react, Nina moved suddenly, pushing her head on mine... "Wai..." Nina's lips find mine and she gives me a corny kiss, even so, I can tell I'm blushing so hard right now. **

**"How are ya?" She says with a very big smile while taking a couple of steps backwards, looking intently at me, as if expecting I just melt into the ground in embarrassment."N-nina!!!" I... I... "As easy as ever, Kolly, you should practice more for when you're with some other girl you know?"**

**"Nina!!!" They're happy laughter... sigh... I feel at ease... they're my second family, I have just as many happy memories with them than with my real family... Wait a moment, where's Lethe? "Agh, ouch! Le-lethe!!!" I feel her... clawing her way up my back with her claws... her long, sharp, deadly little claws...  
**

**"Hi Koel, did you come to play with us" She smiles with the innocence of a child, pulling my ears happily, I can't believe the townsfolk think they are killers...  
**

**"Now, now kids, I want to talk with Koel from Laguz to Beorc" Reguriar says jokingly, however, I know he isn't joking at all, and quickly they all scramble, even Lethe, who carefully claws her way to the ground, "Remember to practice a lot Kolly!"  
**

**"Nina!!!" I can only sigh as she slips away... "Well then Koel, take a seat" Reguriar looks at me very seriously, my uneasiness quickly reaches new heights as I look at him. "Are you comfortable?"  
**

**"Y-yeah..."  
**

**"Well then. Koel, my boy, I want to ask something, if that's okay with you"**

**I nod silently, I don't know if I really want to hear it, though...  
**

**"Could you promise me that you'll take care of the kids when I die?" I can't avoid feeling shaken... I mean... I kinda was prepared for something like this, but still, it feels like a knife cutting through my heart. "Y-yes..." I hesitated, this was something I wasn't used to talk about... It's a bit... surreal...  
**

**"If so, then it's all good, I know you will take good care of Nina and Lethe in my stead..." ... Why do I feel so... uneasy...? I don't like it... "They'll get to your house by the afternoon, be sure to watch over the 2 of them very carefully" He is... saying good bye, isn't he...? I can almost feel it... somehow... I know they are going to... fade... before tomorrow...**

**"Alright..."**

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**Finally, the afternoon, although, I'm very uneasy, why…? Not now, I need to stay calm… I can't stay here... I keep trying to distract myself by fidgeting, taping my fingers on the table... but it's useless... They're taking too long... I know, I'll catch up with them in the forest; that will be the best… I can't really sit and wait here, I walk hastily toward 's house, the waiting was driving me crazy... W-what's that...? It looks like torches... No, it can't be... The people are going to assault him right now, in mid-day? I cannot believe… Then I need to hurry...**

**...pant... pant... I didn't remember that Reguriar's house was so far... huff... huff... Yeah, there's the house.**

**"Mister Reguriar!"**

**"What is it kid; I thought I told you I would send the kids in the afternoon"**

**"No, you don't understand, they're coming right now, I saw them!" Reguriar's eyes widened, at the smell of the townsfolk closing in on us, he grits his teeth, and grunts in disgust... **

**"C'mon here, escape with the kids by the back entrance" "Mina! Lethe! Come here!!!" Immediately Mina appeared with Lethe on her shoulders, and carrying a wooden box. But wait... why didn't he call the other 2?  
**

**"Reguriar, what about Likon and Seid?" Where are those two...**

**"Their choice was to fight, kid, they didn't hesitate, not even a bit, when they told me that they would stay with me, and I cannot convince them of do otherwise, for your sake, I recommend you not to see them now, just go away as fast as you can" Reguriar pushes us, chasing us away from the house...**

**"C'mon, we… We need to move on" ... I... can't bear leaving them alone... But I made a promise, I must take care of Nina and Lethe… I grab Nina's hand and lead the way, running as fast as I can, I can see... the torches, they're going to reach the house any minute now... I... "Kolly... I'm scared" Nina says, with tears swelling up in her eyes...**

**

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**

**I can almost hear the people screaming... It's been like this for the past hour, I'm going to get sick... **

**We're at my house's door... still... I can't cope with the feelings... "Nina, make yourself comfortable, I need to go back, I forgot something" Nina is naive, but at the same time she is very intuitive, I don't know if she will believe... "Kolly..." She turns her face to me... I couldn't feel worst in my entire life... she was crying the whole way here. "Let's just get inside..." I sighed as I opened the door...  
**

**"Daddy isn't coming back, isn't it?" Lethe looked back... She is crying but she won't stop smiling... "Lethe..." I got to take care of them... I grab Lethe, and then we enter the house... The floor creaked as our feet stepped on it... there's smoke coming from the place already… I close my eyes and wish for all of this to be a bad dream... I get the feeling this is one of those nightmares I won't be waking up from...**

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**... It feels like an eternity, there are still signs of struggle over Reguriar's house... I feel really bad… The only thing bothering me is that I couldn't do anything… I must be strong, but how am I supposed to be like that, if I couldn't save them… I can't forgive myself for being so useless, but… I'll try to be… I'll try to be strong for Nina and Lethe…**

**Those two? They are still crying, for the same reason as me… I will show you Mister Reguriar that your trust was not misplaced… I won't let them cry again, I won't leave them alone… This is what my father would do… isn't it?**

**It's getting dark, time to sleep… Think I better go to my bedroom now…**

**I walk to my room, I keep an eye on the window...just in case someone want to pay us a visit, but it won't happen, they must be celebrating their victory over the 3 laguz…**

**Walking into my room I found Nina and Lethe, waiting me to sleep the three together, although I wasn't expecting this, I didn't care too much, I still feel very shattered. I jumped into my bed and closed my eyes… trying to catch at least a little nap…**

**Good night Nina, Lethe… Good night father, mother… May the gods grant us with a better tomorrow…**


	2. A tale about a farewell

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything of Fire emblem.

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... A tale about a farewell...

_

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_

"Huh..." The light... it hurts my eyes... sigh... it's morning already... I'm still so tired... It's been a whole week after that 'incident'... However, something is bugging me, "Kolly..." I really didn't know Laguz slept naked... That is the very reason that kept me awake half-night long, arguing with Nina that I wouldn't allow that... Something went terribly wrong in that conversation and I ended up nodding off at some point just outside the door... "Ahn... Kolly? Where are ya honey?" That playful voice... it's sending chills down my spine. She's been teasing me to no end... I don't know if my heart can stand another day like this...

"I'm right outside, I told you, I wouldn't stay in there if you kept at it again" It's embarrassing... I don't really know how to put it into words, but...

"But Kolly, I want you to be besides me, to protect me..." "Ah..." My heart skips a beat at the sensation, feeling how she leans on my body, I don't even know how she opened the door without making a single noise! "I want you to..." She starts purring like a jinxed cat as she moves her body against mine.

"P-please stop Nina!" I scream out nervously as I scramble to my feet, I can tell my face is completely red, and that I will faint if this goes on... "What a bummer! Kolly, you know you're so fun to tease! If you could only relax and follow along" She says while stretching out, leaning even more on my back... it's soft... her soft, perfectly tanned skin... NOooo! Darn it, stop thinking that!

"Anyways, I'll get breakfast ready!" She sighs as she gets up, looking a bit defeated, her light footsteps passes by me and swiftly dashes down the stairs before I can even say a thing... She went down naked, didn't she...?

This is getting way out of hand... on top of that... Mina didn't come today, I'd really like her to help with this. I'm already losing it... "That's right, I have to get ready" I had forgotten, there's not much gold left, I planned on going to the town and find a job, but... I really doubt it... I have the feeling something might happen today... and it seems quite scary...

Now, I have to wake up Lethe or she'll just skip on breakfast. She's still growing, so she really needs to... "OUCH!" M-my back!

* * *

"Hi Koel, did you slept well?" Lethe said with a sweet, little voice… That immediately removed the pain of my back.

"Yeah, at least this time you didn't dig your claws on my shoulders as always" Lethe just chuckled as I continued walking downstairs…

"That smells really good!" Lethe commented as we entered the kitchen, there I found a still naked Nina, cooking some fishes that she had caught last night… Naked?... Oh for the love of…

"The food is ready!" Nina cheerfully shouts, to my dismay, launching some old, invaluable glasses and plates in the air… "H-hey! Nina!" I scream out of fear... she ignores me and throws the fish into the air, smoothly landing on the already falling dishes… Suddenly, dish after dish disappeared into the air, just to reappear in the table, setting it for us to eat…

"Hey, Kolly, why do you have to do that spell all the time?" She asks with an annoyed look in her face... as if she had the right to get angry...

"I don't have other choice, I get really nervous every time you do that!" I shout back…

"Oh well" She sighed. "I'll do it later then" As much as I wanted to answer, I had already turned around, Nina's big breasts are just bouncing everywhere... seriously, I'm really going to lose it at this rate... "Gah!" Suddenly, all of my back gets skinned nice and slowly as Lethe slides down using her claws… again…

"Let's eat!" She shouted just as she hopped into one of the chairs… I however have to return to the room and get myself cured, I don't want to bleed to death on such an important day... "It's no use, isn't it...?" I sigh as I realize I can't fool myself, since morning I've felt that if I go to town something bad might happen... I'll have to shake it off... now, where is that staff my mother gifted me? Ah, here it is. Now some clothes...

* * *

"Wh-what? You've already...?" I squirm as I find the table empty, except for a small note, "You took so long we went out fishing", those two… worst of all... they most likely did went for a fish to eat a lunch... I'm already sick of it... "They didn't even leave food for me..."

With a slight grumble coming from my stomach, and the weariness… I set out of the home and walk toward the town.

"Good luck trying to find a job Kolly" I turn around, finding Nina waving her hands from the nearby trees, I smile, she did wait for me… wait a minute... "NINA, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, DAMMIT!"

* * *

I'm getting this really weird feeling... like if I shouldn't have come here after all... I wonder if I feel this because everyone is staring at me intently, or because some of the people actually accused me of hiding a pair of murderers at my home... I can't help but to shiver inwardly, staying any longer than needed might really have consequences... I'll just go to Mina's and say hi before leaving. With things as they are, I'll have to find a way of making money at the neighboring town. I'm not surprised... neither my mother nor my father were in good terms with people in town, they're just taking it on me now.

Anyways, onward I go, I said I would visit Mina before getting the hell out of here.

As I dash through the streets I only get grim stares and nefarious things shouted and thrown to me, I actually avoided the majority of their shots... but the bleeding coming from my head was caused by a unidentified flying horseshoe that accurately nailed my forehead on its way down. Pressing on the wound I just concentrate on reaching the healers' home conscious.

The rest home comes into view, the verbal onslaught continues as I come to the worn down stairs at the entrance. "Mister Carseno! Mina!" I cry out loud, and knock on the door, anxious as the cold gazes start aiming for my back, head and throat. But, surprisingly, no one answers, I knock again... "Is this guy an idiot?" What...? My face turns pale, I can see it just like if I was looking through a mirror, as more and more whispers come from behind the door...

"What the hell is this kid doing here anyways?"

"Is he stupid enough?" They continue... They talk just loud enough for me to hear through the door... But I don't give up... I know, I just know Mina or Mister Carseno will come and open the door, "Let me in, please" But I only get death wishes... I can't... believe it... Darn it! "Mina! Open the door, I beg of you!" The only reply is the door being locked from the inside... My throat just clenches up, finally one of the voices inside speaks "Get the hell out of here already!" My legs lose strength all of the sudden, and I stagger back in a shock. I can't just leave, I still have to see Mina, but the killing stares grow in number at an overwhelming speed. I can't stay any longer.

"Koel..." A hoarse, tired voice calls my name, I try to turn around but before I do, a small hand reaches my arm and the person pulls me out of there, walking hastily at first, then jogging at an increasing speed, until the girl that always had come to my help and me end up running with all our might out of the town. I look back surprised without stopping, we came out of there practically unscathed, unlike my run in.

"Mi... na..." I gasp her name just as we stop, I look at her, but I my eyes only met her back and I become alarmed, her clothes are a bit ragged and there are some dark stains on it too. "Wh-what..." My chest oppresses me into shutting up, my throat still closed to a major transit of air. I stand behind her in the awkward silence of our ragged breathes until I finally calm down a bit. "Mina, what happened to you...!" I reach for Mina's shoulder to turn her around, but everything becomes fuzzy for a moment, as my cheek starts pounding hard in pain. I look down for a moment... Mina just slapped me. "Wh..." I grit my teeth, my first thought is to ask her why she hit me, but I stop. I hadn't realized until now that her jagged breathes had changed into a quiet cry... "Mina?" I look at her face, and I go even paler than before... A sense of guilt and repent drowns me as I see Mina, her eyes red from crying, her clothes are indeed ragged... and burned slightly, her whole body is bruised all over. At the sight of the girl looking so pitiful I stop breathing. "Y... you..." Her voice sounds so hoarse and shaky, it only makes me feel worse. "... Idiot" Even thought I heard much worse back in town. I suddenly feel stabbed in the chest twice, her tired eyes looking at me accusingly and her lips that move without sound "It's all your fault"

"What...!" My face is met by Mina's hand once again, only stronger than before, plunging the knife that her words had planted in my chest even further... My world stops but not hers... not knowing what else to do, I just stand in front of her, looking down out of remorse and regret... clenching my hands as Mina continues to lash at me... once, twice, a third and a fourth, every hit becoming stronger. I just continue to receive her anger with closed eyes, my mouth tastes metallic, but I don't move...

After the ninth everything quiets down, only the sounds of her sobbing and the wind rocking the branches remain, I gulp the metallic taste down, and gather enough will, to open an eye... Mina's arm are crossed over her chest, her hands clutching her ragged sleeves, her whole body trembling uncontrollably and tears trickling. I look away... I just can't bear looking at her like that... I feel so useless... what am I supposed to do?

Without notice, Mina just lets herself fall to her knees, letting out one sorrowful cry. "Why? Why won't you say anything back" I crouch down, still not knowing what to say, reaching for her shoulders again. She lifts her head meeting her eyes with mine and, crying like a little girl, she leans on me. ""I'm sorry, Koel, I'm sorry" I almost jump in surprise as Mina starts apologizing desperately, it feels wrong, apologizing to me like this, I feel even worse.

Then everything becomes quiet, sitting in the middle of the forest supporting Mina who just lies on my chest now. I hear her breathing softly, look at her groggily rubbing her eyes delicately, she had fallen asleep for a moment, after she let everything out on me like that, I wasn't really surprised. "Good, you calmed down" Her eyes move to meet mine, I smile at her, but she immediately puts a sad face. "Koel... please, forgive me"

"No, I should be the one apologizing, I made you angry for some reason." I say sincerely, but Mina shakes her head, sitting up with my help, Mina flashes a faint smile that disappears as soon as she looks back at me. "It doesn't hurt, don't worry" she looks at me surprised for a moment, as if asking if I had read her mind, but she was staring intently at my cheek, it wasn't difficult to figure, but it does hurt, a lot... she did punch at the end. She sighs relieved, but looking a bit dazed.

"No... I wanted to blame all of this on someone... You were so concerned and yet I..." Her voice trails of, still, I can see in her eyes she wants to say something, she looks to the right again and again, hesitating to tell me, finally, she takes a deep breath, deciding to continue, with tears welling on her eyes.

"Koel... My grandfather... he died yesterday..." wh-what...? "There was a fire on our house... and he couldn't get out..." I can't fall apart on Mina now... She would be alone if it weren't for me now... But, I can't help but curse... why is this happening to Mina and the others? Argh... I'm crying, I just can't believe it, even Mister Carseno...

"Koel...?"

"It's nothing... anyways, do you have a place to sleep?" She looks surprised for a moment, and then sighs, looking at me in the eyes, she tells me with her sole glare that she doesn't… I just can't leave her like this.

"You can stay at my place… if you want to"

"Are you serious?" Her eyes lights up, I nod weakly, and she smiles at me… The same smile that she gave me when I woke up at the rest home… Suddenly, a though crosses my mind just like that…

"Did you save any clothes from your house?" She shakes her head nervously…

"We'll do something about that later…"

* * *

"..."

"..." We walk quietly, I can't even bring myself to rise my face... It's just one after another... tragedies keep following me... and latching onto my friends and family.

"Sigh..." It is peaceful thought, I haven't been like this with Mina since we first met, she clings of my clothes as if fearing I might go missing if she didn't do it. Weirdly... I feel awkward. The feeling that something bad has happened still won't leave my mind... If what happened to Mina isn't the bad thing that is supposed to happen... Then what is it?

"Koel, look" Mina says nervously, following her finger I take a look, I quickly spot what's wrong... the door has been bashed down! "No, Nina, Lethe!" I stuttered, fearing the worst.

Making a mad dash, I enter the house. "P-please… let Lethe go" My sight fails me as soon as I enter from the shock of the scene I find in here. The splotches of blood everywhere, a pool of red right in the middle of the room, 2 figures stand there. Two armored men, and on the ground lies a begging girl, impaled all the way through her stomach into the floor by a sword, "N-Nina!"

The three figures turned to me, tears roll painfully from Nina's cheeks as blood makes its way up to her mouth, "I'll be dammed, it's that little bitch's boyfriend!" Shouted one of the men, my eyes open even wider as I see her, Lethe desperately gasping for air with tears in her eyes, the hand of the armored man crushing her little neck…

"Koel" Nina is completely terrified, her pupils dilated due to the extreme pain. "Ah... Aaaaahh!" Mina's horrified scream turns me back to my senses, I have to do something fast or they'll certainly die, but what? I don't have any weapon at a... at all...

"K-Koel! Help Lethe, please!" My teeth clatter hard as I hear Nina's tortuous cry, her face has so many scratches and bruises dealt by the hunters.

"This is too much! They're just kids! Why the hell are you doing this?" I scream from the top of my lungs, my vision is getting blurry, and all I can see clearly are the 2 men standing in front of me. "Hahahaha! Look that, the kid is trying to look all high and mighty!" Son of a... "Just so you know, the townsfolk paid us a pretty penny for the heads of your little pets"

"Agh! P-please, no!" Nina's cries send chills up my spine as the myrmidon twists the laguz slayer slightly.

"You bastard!" I leap at him, arms outstretched, aiming for his eyes I throw my hands forward...! "Agh!" My vision fades.

With a loud and painful thud, my back hits the floor as blood spurts out of my nose. His strike was clean, lightning fast and so hard that it takes my consciousness a bit to rearrange itself, now I find myself out of oxygen. Gasping desperately, I realize his foot is standing right on my neck! "Runts nowadays just don't know when to shut the fuck up"

I grab his leg with all my might, however, it's not enough, he is too heavy to push him away. Darn it! I can't let this keep on like this! I reach around, trying to find it, but it's too far, even if I stretch hard I can't reach it. This can't be happening!

W-wait! On the myrmidon's boot, a knife! I can feel the sheathe and the handle of a knife attached to his boot! I quickly grab the knife and stab his leg with all my might, "Guh? Argh!" I get up just as he goes down and as fast as I can stab his neck!

"Wha- Kuh!" But I fail and instead end on the receiving end of a kick, "You bastard!" He yells in pain while kicking my face with his unhurt leg. I fall on the ground in a daze, that was a bad hit, I feel dizzy now...! Wait, I dropped the knife! I open my eyes as I realize that fact, and soon become terrified as I see the myrmidon stretching his arm to the weapon. This can't be happening... I tell my legs to move, but it's no use, I can't get up! "You're so done for!"

It can't end like this... I just want Nina and Lethe to live... Suddenly, a dull sound, "LUXOR!" Accompanied by the scream of the other soldier, what happened? I open my eyes in confusion, and spot the myrmidon lying on the floor, a sheet of blood is formed under his body!

But how?

When?

Ah, I see it, it's perfectly clear, his neck bleeds profusely, then it means I did hit something important! But it's not over yet, the other guy is still alive, still chocking the life from Lethe. I have to take him down and fast!

A new found heat returns to my body, and I manage to stand up. I sweep the floor with my eyes and find the knife, it's roughly at the same distance between the soldier and me, if I'm going to take him down, then this is my only chance. "You damned mother fucker!" Gah, he threw Lethe away like if she was just some kind of rag doll! He spot the knife as well, I have to reach it before him!

I lunge at the floor throwing my hand forward... yeah! I get to the knife first and, with a thrust from my legs, slide on the floor, a metal clad fist comes flying just where my head was a moment ago! Suddenly, as if something clicked inside me, my body starts reacting at thoughts speed, reacting at the same time my brain does, feeling almost as if stepping aside, I see my body quickly standing up and whirling around, my hand moving on its own forward with the speed of lightening, and my legs leaping forward in an almost inhuman speed.

My body rams into the man and the both of us fall on the ground, only one of us is alive now, thought. My body... becomes numb, I can only feel my parched throat burning now, I did it... I can't believe it... But I still can't rest, Nina and Lethe need me.

I stand up, my body complains almost immediately, I ignore the pain. Even my lungs are burning now... Ragged breathes fill the whole room, my sight is still bathed in red... my face is covered with blood, and my clothes are drenched in red... I'm trying to calm down after doing something so nefarious... this place is a complete nightmare... my teeth clatter so much... is it fear?

"M-Mina" I force those words out from my tightly clenched throat. However, as I turn around I spot those green eyes, I stop breathing for a moment... she looks so lost, it's like if Mina was staring at the nothingness... she is in complete shock, but there's no time, if we don't... "Mina, quickly, we have to help them!"

"But... Your nose is bleeding..." She mutters, looking terrified at me, I gulp and look at myself, the bloody mess I am... I would be shocked too... but there's no time for that, if we don't act... Nina and Lethe will surely... "Come on! I can't help them on my own!" Mina jumps in fear, darn it, she won't be able to do anything any time soon...

"I-it hurts" Nina said weakly, panting heavily, she has lost too much blood already, the wound is gruesomely deep, "Nina, hold still, I have to get the sword out" I say nervously, I don't know how much damage it will do on its way out but I have to, Nina gives a weak nod and clenches her teeth. "Ah..." A small spurt of blood reaches on to me, tainting red what was left clean of my robes… "Shit, the bleeding is too bad." There's no way she'll survive much more of this, I can't do this on my own. Unless I use... that spell... "Mina, please" It's useless, she won't move an inch... darn it, I'll have to use it then.

"Hold on Nina, I have to find the mends"

"N-no... Please don't go away..." Ignoring Nina's pleading voice that I stayed with her, I go grab a mend and return as fast as I can, I spot Mina again, staring blankly at the blood in the room. "Mina! Please get over it! We need to help Lethe and Nina now" -Please don't fall apart now, I need you!- My throat is so parched, I can't manage to said that last thing.

I start mumbling, my mother had taught me something of an advanced spell, I don't know how good it will work, but... "Wha- Koel, stop!" Mina suddenly screams, but it's too late, the pale blue light emanates from the mend, I feel cold creeping on my back as spark-like lights appear from my clothes and travel through the air, coating Nina's wound slowly... There, I can see it clearly, it's slowly closing shut... That should... st...

"Koel!"

...

...

...!

Wh-what...? Everything is a blur right now... my body felt like it was dying just now... It was cold and... it hurt... "You idiot!" Huh...?

"Gah!" I quickly stand up, but my left leg groans in protest almost immediately, I fall on my knees, short of breathe. "Why did you use that spell! It's too dangerous for you to use!" Mina's complaining... but if Nina gets better, I don't really care.

"I know... just shut up and help me with Nina!" I manage to cough up some words at Mina, I look at her, but she only glares at me in anger, however, I am the one who gets pissed... I don't want to be so... direct... "Please, just do it!"

As expected, she jumps in surprise and looks at me with teary eyes, "Here, help Nina, I still have to see how bad is Lethe" Mina looks sad for a moment, I almost yell at her again but she nods weakly with flustered face before I do so... I stand up, however, a horrendous pain shoots through my head... "Ugh..." Seems I didn't cast the spell correctly, my body still aches all over... and this headache... I reach my temple with my hand to support, I just have to deal with it and help Lethe...

* * *

My hands never stopped shaking, even as I tried to help Lethe, I just could feel the knife in my hands... It was... perturbing, to say the least.

"It's morning already…" I feel so tired... I couldn't rest one bit... Carrying Nina and then Lethe out of the place... I couldn't stand all that blood... it smelled so terrible... and... to a very small degree of importance... I don't really like the color red...

"Koel, come here" Mina says looking at me over her shoulder, surprising me... She became silent since the incident, only saying so few things. I walk at her feeling bad... I do regret the way I treated her at that moment...

She looks at me over the shoulder and tilts her head, telling me to come closer... Just now... I could see her eyes... She's... mad at me. "Why didn't you tell me before?" She says in her coldest voice, sending chills down my spine. "Answer me Koel. Why didn't you tell me that Nina and Lethe were here?" My throat clenches hard, it feels like an inquisition where no matter what I say... I shall be prosecuted and found guilty as charged... However, the judge awaits my reply. If I don't comply, who knows what she might do... I sigh, I don't know why I didn't tell her in the first place...

"I was scared" I respond, closing my eyes slowly... the sound of skin meeting skin at high speed let itself hear, as my face gets assaulted by an ominous slap. "M-mina..." I'm crying… All I can do right now is just fall to pieces... something I couldn't do at that moment, for obvious reasons...

"You were scared? Scared of what?" Mina's voice becomes filled with feelings. Looking at me as if I was the worst human being in the whole world, I can't help but to try and avert my gaze from her.

"..." I don't know what to respond, my mind races so fast and yet not a single answer comes to me. I just don't want to lose any one else... "Koel, answer me" Her voice, my mind is completely frozen... I don't have an answer... I look away from her, lowering my head in shame... The feeling that all of this is my fault attacks my mind...

"Gah..." Everything gets fuzzy and I trip back, I quickly realize with pain that Mina just punched me on the face, "Mina...?" I look at her and see her gritting her teeth, she is really angry...

"Why didn't you say anything to me, Koel? If you don't answer I'll just start thinking that you just hate me, that you were just mocking me back there at the rest home! I want to know why don't you trust me!"

"Wait... Mina..." She walks over to me, and squats down, piercing into my soul with her green eyes... "Come on Koel, please say something, you look so pitiful like that" Her sudden sweet whisper, she leans and slowly our foreheads meet, I can't help but to let myself cry... "I'm sorry... this is all my fault..." My voice is broken, and I can't stop sobbing. "I was scared that you might leave if you knew... I didn't want to lose anyone else..." I manage to say and close my eyes, "..." I can hear Mina muttering, and suddenly I feel her embracing me, "You silly... You should already know... that I can't leave you alone..." Mina... she is crying...

"Umh... hah..." A weak moan comes, and my eyes look immediately, the feeling of a thousand pounds being lifted from my chest as I spot her slowly opening her eyes. "Nina!"

"Koel? Augh..." She grits her teeth in pain, its only natural, even the best healer would not be able to take away the pain from a wound as serious as hers... "Don't move, it will hurt if you do" Mina says as she lets go of me. I smile, and my body simply stops, I fall on the ground and sigh. "Ah...? Koel?" Mina shrieks and reaches for me with a worried look.

"Don't worry... I just need a moment" I simply reply to her, she smiles as if she had realized something, and stands up. I look around, and spot the orange cat sleeping soundly, she woke up almost immediately after the soldier threw her away as if nothing had happened and even tried to help us out, minutes later, I found the the little cat lying on a corner, dozing off.

I start to get up, looking at the 3 of them I can't help but to feel lost, this place isn't safe anymore, I'm scared... what if this happened again? Would I be able to stop it...? I fear my home isn't safe anymore. I'm scared of myself, the feeling hasn't left my hands, the weight of the knife, the hot blood dripping from it... it's disgusting, I can't still process that I killed...

Wouldn't it be easier if we just disappeared from this place...?

... Huh? The thought crossed my head as fast as a lightening, that could actually work, that's what the townsfolk wanted in the first place, for our families to leave this place... it will be tough at first, but I'm sure we would make it... Wait, that is a hasty statement, I can't be sure it will be better... But I am sure that if we stay, something unspeakable will be done to Mina and the others... I just don't know what to do...

I shake my head, like if trying to shake the doubts off, and close my eyes, such a decision shouldn't be taken lightly...

"Koel? Are you alright?" I hear Mina's voice, she looks at me with this troubled face... I guess the expression I'm making is a real grim one.

* * *

The day passed slowly, I used the time to think long and hard, as Nina and Lethe recovered, I kept looking silently, leaning on a tree, as they played just as if nothing had happened. Playing so happily, with no worries at all... I don't want them to feel that fear or pain again, if possible I'd like them to stay happy forever...

"I guess it's no use..." Mina sighed, and looked at me with sad eyes, I couldn't help but to avert my sight, and sigh... Whatever we did to deserve this? I still think uselessly. We talked, that's why she's still down, it's hard... to leave this place... even after all the bad memories I have, leaving my home and... my family... behind.

"Are you ok with it?" She shakes her head, and looks down. "Are you sure there's no other way around it?"

... I fall silent, the feeling crushes my chest...

"I'm sure..." My eyesight fails me just as I say that, and a tear rolls down... It hurts... it really hurts even thinking of leaving this place...

Mina gets up and gives a step forward, the tension from a moment ago seemingly fading as quickly as she moved. She turns around, sticking her tongue out? "Then I'm ok with it" She says with a warm smile.

* * *

Lethe plays with my ears as we start walking, the sun illuminating the path ahead of us, I look behind me one last time, observing the house, my home, the place where I lived… The place where I grew up… The place where I learned about life… Where I shared everything with my beloved ones… Where I met my friends…Where I lived very good times… I clap my hands, praying a bit

"Koel?" I feel the confused look on the girls' faces, but I ignore them for a bit, I feel that if I don't bid my farewell, I will regret it somehow...

"My Ashera grants us with a better tomorrow" I finish my plea and smile, feeling much better now, I turn around, and as if it were contagious, Mina and Nina smile too.

"Let's go"

Farewell… I think of this final word as we move away, leaving behind nothing more than what we cared for the most...

End of... A tale about a farewell...**  
**


	3. Travelling Tales: A Laguz Tale

_**Disclaimer: The same as in the other 2 chapters**_

_**The first arc of my story, Travelling Tales**_

_**A Laguz story**__** part 1...Travelling Tales…**_

_**This place... although I never went outside the village before... at least that I know... I feel like I know this place... This is giving me th**__**e creeps... Maybe I'm imagining things... Still, I still feel uneasy for some reason... Agh! Someone is chocking me... I can't breathe... It feels soft and smooth...?**_

"_**Kolly**__**, Snap out of it!" Nina is the one chocking me... Agh, she is chocking harder... I feel she is gonna break my neck...**_

"_**S-stop... ack...! It-it hurts!" Her grasp on my neck is so hard that I'm barely able to spit that... but eventually she let me go...**_

"_**Wh-why... did you do... that?" I said between gasps...**_

"_**I dunno" She said taking her finger to her mouth. "You were really distraught so I though I should try to snap you out of it" She said, giving me a cute smile... I couldn't argue with her I got trapped in her eyes, hope she doesn't notice...**_

"_**C'mon, you're falling behind!" Mina **__**shouted, still walking forward, all of the sudden she tripped with a rock falling face-first... Nina is just laughing her ass off, as we caught up with Mina and Lethe... Where's Lethe...?**_

"_**Mina, where's Lethe?" Mina was a bit dazed after the fall, she just looked at me, with a worried face... "S-she was with me until a few seconds ago" Those words were enough to shut Nina's mouth, her face then changed to fury**_

"_**WHAT?!" Nina is really angry... "You were supposed to look after her!" Nina shouted, reaching Mina's collar with her hand**_

"_**I swear Lethe was with me the whole time" Mina said, but it was of no use...**_

"_**Stop! You two can argue as much as you want after we find Lethe" Nina stopped bulling Mina and looked back at me... Her eyes were tearing up; she is really worried about Lethe...**_

"_**Alright, let's start looking for her; she can't have gone too far" Nina nodded silently... we started to walk, looking into every spot where Lethe could have hid in... After a few minutes of searching, a loud scream came the far part of some bushes**_

"_**It's Lethe!" Nina murmured after sniffing the air a bit... All of the sudden, Lethe just jumped out of the bushes and ran toward me as fast as she could...**_

_**Lethe is crying, something must've scared her a lot... "Hey, look over there..." Mina stuttered, "I saw the bushes moving a bit" Mina pointed directly the bushes of which Lethe jumped out... I unsheathed my knife, preparing for anything that came out of there, looking to the right I see Mina reaching her short bow... Suddenly, a rabid animal appears from the bushes, growling toward us... is a... is a small dog?!?**_

"_**Don't let it get near of me!" Lethe shrieked, trying desperately to climb my leg... I heard a long sigh of relief coming from Mina as she put her bow on her back again...**_

"_**Nina... I think Lethe is overdoing it" I took a look over the shoulder, looking toward Nina, she had a worried look, as some sweat drops rolled from her forehead... Then she looked at me, after noticing my glance she tried to regain composure... Oh that's right, the dog... what is this dog doing here?**_

"_**It'**__**s so cute!" Mina cried, she certainly likes small dogs, as her hand approached the dog, he shot himself toward Mina's hand leaving her no time to get her hand away, the dog reached her and sunk his small fangs as deep as he could on Mina's hand, she just gnashed her teeth from the pain...**_

"_**Oww!" Mina said under her breath, there's a bit of blood dripping from the dog's fangs, Mina tried to get the dog to release her hand... With a bit of strength, Mina pushed the dog away and held her hand in pain... The dog turned toward us again and growled again... "LOCKY!!! WHERE ARE YOU?" A kid's voice echoed through the forest, and with that the dog turned around and started barking, in no time a kid of about 10 years old jumped out of the bushes**_

"_**Locky! I'm so happy!" The boy said, and hugged the dog... he is looking at us**_

"_**Thank you for finding my dog!" The kid immediately said with a big smile in his face... Mina was about to say something but the kid then gave an icy glare towards Lethe and Nina... Damn, this kid as a very piercing stare!**_

"_**What are you half-breed doing here?" Whoa, his voice as changed, I'm guessing he has a grudge against Laguz... maybe**_

"_**Watch your mouth you dammed human!" Nina shouted back, returning the stare toward the kid... I've never heard Nina say something like that before... The kid just kneeled up and stared at us for a second before... "HELP, THERE'S A LAGUZ TRYING TO KILL ME!!!" The kid shouted**__**, Nina's eyes widened... the four of us knew what was going to happen, we looked at each other before whirling and dashing away faster than a bullet... I took Lethe from Nina so we all could escape easily from the forest... After that long run it was natural that the three of us were trying to catch up with our breath... Dammit, I can hear footsteps behind us**_

"_**C'mon, we need to hurry!" I muttered, still gasping for air... and sweating like a pig... But just when I though we were going to escape for sure, an arrow stabbed my leg... I pulled it out painfully but then again another arrow sliced through my arm...**_

"_**Koel!!!" Mina shrieked, an arrow cut her left side and was bleeding a little, I could see how she gritted her teeth to avoid screaming...**_

"_**You three need to escape now! If they find me alone, I'm sure they won't harm me... Now hurry!" I hope that's true... (gulp)...**_

"_**But..."-"Go now!!!" Nina nodded silently and took Mina by the wrist, Lethe changed form and followed, after a minute I lost sight of them, but I was surrounded by a bunch of villagers**_

"_**So it was true; this guy was with the Laguz" Oh no... They saw me with Lethe and Nina...!**_

"_**Alright lads, show this bastard what we do with a Half-breeds lover" A bunch of **__**fighters grinned at me, they couldn't wait more, and their lust for blood can be seen on their faces already... Before I knew, I had a deep gash where a knife was sticking out a few moments ago... He stabbed me so hard on the stomach that the grip didn't entered just because it couldn't, the hit took the air out of me too, it was very painful by now but it wasn't even near of what came after that... I kneeled down; I know the next guy is going to attack me... I grit my teeth, I can barely hold myself, the blood is gushing out... All of the sudden, a small gust of wind hit my back, seconds later a sharp pain shot all over my back... did they hit me with an axe...!? The pain is unbearable now... that last slash made me scream from sheer pain... I can feel the back of my robes drenching in blood... it hurts a lot...! I need to defend myself! If not... I'll be letting down Reguriar!**_

_**The next executioner is weary to impale me with his long spear; I clumsily unsheathe my dagger, still carefully so they can't notice... His coming to get me! It's now or never, with a high jump I landed behind the spearman, who is still confused, and forcefully stab him right where his heart should be, with a sole yelp the guy fell to the ground, wriggling and squirming from the pain...**_

"_**Get him!" The first attacker shouted, now infuriated after seeing how I took the life of his fellow comrade, the two of them are now charging at me... What the...? My vision is getting foggy... With a quick glance over my shoulder I see the trail of my own blood... I can't continue like this, my body is starting to shiver from exhaustion and pain... I'm struggling just to keep on my feet... I'll hold have to my ground, the sword fighter is now before me waving recklessly his sword... he clumsily shots the sword forward, slowly enough for me to move aside... With fast move, my knife ended up in back of the neck of the sword guy... No, I totally forgot about the other one... Agh! He sent me flying with a body bash... Shit, my body... it won't move...! What am I going to do...? Dammit, his footsteps are getting closer... his right behind me now**_

"_**You bastard!" H-he is strong; he lifted me from the collar with just one hand...! Ack, he hit my body against a tree... My body is very sensitive now**__**; my wounds are starting to hurt more**_

"_**You killed my brothers! I'm not going to forgive you, fucking half-breed lover!" Oww! He punched my right on the wound in my stomach... It hurts really bad... Oof! He hit me again... I can taste the taste of blood in my mouth... Dammit, I can't hold it any longer... Each punch is hurting me more and more... I coughed a lot of blood right after he punched me a last time... I am barely awake... what is he going to do with me now?**_

"_**You're going to die here and now, and I'll be the one who takes your life with just one swing of my axe; the "Renegade Claw"!" he shouted reaching his so called axe from his back and readying it to rip down my neck... Someone, help me...**__** Rats, if at least I could move... and the taste of blood in my mouth; is just... gruesome... he is moving his axe backwards; he is taking impulse to hit me with all of his strength... It's my end; I can't bear to die like this... I don't want to leave Mina, Lethe and Nina alone... Not after I gave my word to Reguriar that I'd stay with them always...**_

"_**AAAAARGH!!!" Oww! What happened? He just let me go... What the hell!!! The guy has been set aflame, what happened...? Agh, my hand... is burning... too hot...! A-at least I'm saved... but I can't heal myself, at least not without the staves... I'll have to find Nina and the others... I can't move... FUCK!!!**_

"_**Koel! Are you alright?" That's Mina's voice...**_

"_**Mina... I can't... move" Even if I tried... That's the largest sentence I could say in my actual shape**_

"_**W-what happened here?" I saw her wincing after spotting the charred black carcase of the man who was about to kill me... It was only natural for her to react this way...**_

"_**Koel..."**__** She just looked at me for a few seconds, with a sorry look in her eyes... then she looked up for one of the staves she was carrying in her bag... She held the stave before my eyes and started mumbling some words in a low tone... some white sparks started to appear from the mend and then flowed into my body... The gash in my stomach slowly closed... although I still was a bloody mess...**_

"_**There..." Mina muttered in a low voice, looking worried over her shoulder... She was staring directly at the 3 bodies that were lying on the ground**__**... her worried look was startling me...**_

"_**Let's get outta here, shall we?" I said, taking Mina by the arm**__**... I hastily got up and pulled Mina, who was still focused on the death carcasses...**_

"_**You told me they wouldn't do anything to you" I glanced over the shoulder, seeing Mina who was softly biting the tip or her thumb... "Why did they attack you?"**_

"_**They were repeating that I was a "half-breed lover"... but I've got no idea what that means" Mina stopped and her eyes widened for a second... she had a puzzled look all over her face**_

"_**Koel..." She said under her breathe, although barely audible... She had a sorry look in her eyes...**_

"_**We... we should get moving" Mina said, still a bit sad... She took the lead as we left that cursed place and moved through the edge of the forest... We quickly found Nina and Lethe; they were hiding in a small cave not too far away from where I was attacked... Nina was sitting on a corner of the cave with her legs clutched, Lethe was at her side, she had already nodded off... Nina didn't notice when we entered, she looked so helpless and grieved...**_

"_**Kolly..." She whispered to herself... A single tear rolled from her eye...**_

"_**Nina... what's going on?" The sudden interruption took her off-guard... After spotting me, Nina bit her lip and looked to the side...**_

"_**Kolly, you heard what I said to that kid, didn't you?" She said without looking at me**__**, her voice was shaking too...**_

"_**I did, but I'm not sure what it means..." When I said that, she just gave me a faint smile, still looking toward the wall...**_

"_**It means the hate toward the Beorc race... and... vice versa**__**..." Her smile vanished with those words, and frowned –"The word 'human', and the word 'Sub-human' or the word the kid said 'Half-breed'"**_

"_**But what does that have to do with our races?"**_

"_**I don't quite get it either, but I know why my race hates yours" - "I want to know" I just want to know... Although I have the feeling this is somehow hurting Nina**_

"_**For many years**__** the Laguz were slaved by the Beorc race... and is still happening... Do you remember the scars I have on my back?" The scars she is talking about were very serious... they were all over her back...**_

"_**Yes, I do" – "Those scars are the proof of my story, along with my mother's death... When I was 7 years old a band of mercenaries were hunting my parents down... My father was able to hide Lethe, Likon and Seid, but he was surrounded and couldn't do anything to help my mother... It was only 3 days the time we were captives, but it was enough for me to receive such bad wounds and for my mother to..." Nina sobbed; she whipped another tear that was rolling from her eye –"It was horrible, those soldiers, they wore ebon armor, as black as the night... They killed my mother and tortured me... If it hadn't been for one person, I wouldn't be alive... Takeichi Gravelock..." That name... my father!**_

"_**He found the camp where I was held prisoner and helped me **__**to escape..."**_

"_**And it was in that prison were you lost your ability to transform... right?" After saying that, Nina's eyes widened, I shouldn't have said that... Nina tried to get a hold of herself, she was about to break into tears... she managed to calm and nodded weakly...**_

"_**You're right**__**... Those soldiers did something horrible to my body, they expected me to change into a cat... but there was a mistake... and I couldn't transform in my complete for anymore..." She lifted up her hand and suddenly her nails transformed into claws, and her skin changed colour to red... but the rest of her hand remained unchanged... Nina yelped in pain... and her hand transformed back to normal... she did say to me that when she tried to transform a sharp pain shot all over her chest...**_

"_**But... I'm sure you want to hear it all, don't you?" Nina asked very seriously... I nodded and sat on the ground, besides Mina, who was also there... Nina prepared to tell us her story...**_


	4. Travelling tales A Laguz Tale 2

_**Author's note: Sorry for the wait, I had some major issues to attend, but here we are now, let's continue with the story.**_

_**This time the story will be told by Nina…**_

"_**Please, Nina, tell us… what happened in that place?" The brown-haired boy said, weary, he wanted to know more about his friends… whether it's good or bad…**_

"_**I… I want to know to Nina, please… unless you really don't want to talk about it…" Curiosity took control of the auburn-haired girl…**_

"_**It's… It's okay, I want to tell you" The young blue-haired Laguz sighed, she did wanted to talk about it… even if it hurt, she wanted to share the story… a story about her family, about Laguz tribe of which, she is one of the few survivors…**_

_**She remembered the start of those gruesome events**_

_**A Laguz Story part 2… Traveling Tales…**_

"_**Mother…?" The battered body of a young woman lied on the ground… she had been involved in some kind of battle, her arms were completely filled with sword slashes and she was stabbed 3 times in the stomach…**_

"_**Yahiro, you and Reguriar take the women and the children away from the village, we will hold them off!" The tribe leader shouted, his face showed some kind of desperate feeling, outside the hut countless metal clashes were heard, screams and roars were heard along too, a gruesome fight was taking place outside the tribe's resting place.**_

"_**Nina! Tell your mother to take your brothers to the sacred palace!" My father shouted, he was looking really scary, as his face changed from that of a human into a beast… I quickly dash out of the tent, with four legs I quickly arrived to my family's cave.**_

"_**Nina? Hurry, we need to get going" My mother said, walking with haste toward the entrance, suddenly a soldier in black armor jumped into view, holding a heavy spear.**_

"_**You monsters, stay back, or else… Argh!!!" The soldier's head fell toward the ground and the cave entrance covered in blood, a big black tiger appeared from behind the death soldier…**_

"_**Keep moving the rest of the tribe is already heading toward the Palace" My father said, pointing with his head the slender, shadowy figures moving between the trees, Yahiro on the lead. "Seid, Likon, come with me, we'll defend your mother and sisters! My dad said again, Seid and Likon nodded and they both ran to my father's side… "Let's go!"**_

_**Huff, huff, huff… How far is the palace anyway…? "Reguriar!" Kishina, one of my parents' friends shouted, she seemed rather uneasy… "What is it?"-"Yahiro needs help in the front, he is under attack by some soldiers!" Kishina said with a nervous voice, my father looked toward us, my mother nodded and then my father speeded up toward the front…**_

"_**We'll be alright…" My mother muttered to herself… "Mom, when are we going to arrive? I'm tired" My feet are starting to hurt, we have been running for around 5 straight minutes now…**_

"_**Mom is tired too, however, we must continue, the palace is beyond this forest… huff, huff, huff… We should see it any moment now…" My mother said between gasps, we had never run this long at full speed, I'm fighting just to keep up with my mother…**_

_**Suddenly, everyone came to a stop; a bright red light was coming from the palace… "No… Not the palace…" My mother voice became weak and nervous, what is going on? I can't see at all… after a moment, the forest filled with a smell of smoke and the sound of footsteps that seemed to be coming in our direction…**_

"_**Nina, c'mon, we must catch up with your father" My mother said, we started to make our way through the people, trying to reach my father, everyone was very concerned, why did everyone stopped so suddenly? All of the sudden, a fire ball fell from the sky right in front of the crowd in front of us, everything around us became panic, everyone ran into different ways, pushing against each other, we could not move at all… Then another fire ball hit the ground near us, sending everyone into the ground, and some soldiers in black armor appeared from nowhere, they started slaughtering us, some of the elders started fighting them, so we could get away.**_

"_**Nina, this way!" My mother shouted to get my attention, we started running toward the front, but in matter of seconds we found ourselves surrounded with a couple more of elders, the elders and my mother formed a circle, with Lethe and me in the middle, the soldiers unsheathed their swords and rushed toward us, the elders were no match for those dark soldiers… "Nina, behind me…" My mother had a deep cut on her side, and some scratches around her neck, but she still defied the soldiers, trying to protect Lethe and me… Suddenly, the soldiers started falling death one after the other, my father, my brothers and Yahiro killed them instantly, my father approached to us, and Yahiro continued to help the others…**_

"_**Lirelea, are you alright?" My father asked, looking at my mother's wounds… "I'll be alright… just take Nina and Lethe with you, I'll catch up later" My mother said, trying to calm down my father, it didn't work, but still, Likon took Lethe and put her on his back.**_

"_**Mother, are you really going to be okay?" Said asked, he was almost as worried as my father… "I already told I'm fine… just keep moving, you too Nina, I'll catch up as soon as I can" Likon and Seid went ahead and disappeared in the commotion.**_

"_**Get moving!!!" My mother yelled, I couldn't help but to cry… "Argh!!!" My father screamed in pain, a spear was sticking from his back, more black soldiers jumped from between the trees and rushed toward us, however, with a single roar from my father, the soldiers stopped in their tracks, dazed; my father took his opportunity and killed them one after another, until there were only 3…**_

"_**C'mon, get 'em!!!" One of the black armored soldiers said, and then came rushing toward my father, he just ducked the attack and with his claws tore his limbs apart; the other 2 soldiers ran away in fear after seeing the gory scene.**_

"_**Cowards…" My father said, still with the spear sticking from his back, he looked at me, asking for a bit of help, I jumped on his back and pulled swiftly the spear, it was rather light. "Stay with your mother, I'll come back in a moment…" My father said, dashing to where Yahiro is fighting.**_

"_**Mother… Are you okay?" I walked toward my mother, she was struggling to get up, I got close… "Here I'll help you" My… My mother is heavier than I though… there.**_

"_**Nina, we must go to a safer place, let's go with Likon and Seid, you can track them right?"-"Yep, Likon and Seid taught me how just a week ago" Although I didn't learn that much… Here goes nothing…… No… I can't concentrate… there's too much noise.**_

"_**NINA, WATCH OUT!!!" My mother pushed me, she… She got hit by a spear…! "Mother…! Are you alright?"-"Nina, you must find your brothers, get away from here"-"No, I can't leave you!" I can't leave my mother just like that… "Aaaahh!" No...! My mother got hit again-"Nina, just go away! You can't do anything now!" I'm so useless… "I'll come back for you with my brothers!" I must find Seid and Likon, they can help mother… Everything is in turmoil; it's too hard trying to find them…**_

"_**Nina!" That's Seid's voice, where is he…? I keep looking around, but I can't find him…I… What am I going to do…? -"Nina, don't cry now!" Kuh… -"Mother, where is our mother?"-"I'll show you, follow me!" Seid nodded, I just have to retrace my steps… isn't it…?**_

"_**Mother!?!" Seid must've spotted mother… Why is he so anxious…?-"Nina, they're taking mother away!" What? What do they want her for…?-"C'mon, we must save her!" Seid took the lead, hold on mother, we are going for you…**_

_**Seid left me behind already… He was weary to kill some of those soldiers… Huh…? He forgot one soldier; I better kill him before he tries anything… Hya! Done! That soldier is squirming on the ground, now… Where's my brother?**_

_**I need to get a little closer… Where are those soldiers…?-"GOT YOU!!!" Aaaahh! The soldier is right behind me… Gah…! My… neck… everything… everything is going black…**_

…

…

…… _**Ouch… my head hurts… what… what happened? Where am I…? The floor is cold… Am I in a cage…?**_

"_**Do… Do we really have to… you know…?" Seems like there are 2 soldiers talking… I can't hear very well… what are they talking about?**_

"_**You like these beasts? Maybe you're losing it…"**_

"_**No, it's not that… Well, I mean, we have to kill even their women and the children? It's just too much" What did he just said…?**_

"_**Kill 'em? Are you mad or what? The king said we had to capture all the beasts we could and bring them to the alchemists"**_

"_**Nina, don't get closer to them!" That voice is… Kishina… Why is her voice so weak…?**_

"_**Hey you freak, get away from the edge!" Kya!!! My leg… The soldier whipped me really hard… -"Nina, come here quickly!" Kishina's body is full of wounds… What happened after I blacked out…?**_

"_**Nina, be careful, they will kill you if they have the chance… even if they were ordered only to capture us"-"Kishina… Do you know where they are taking us to…?" She only shook her head…**_

_**There are more of my kind in this cage… I even recognize Jadel and Hari… Come to think of it… the soldiers where taking my mother too before I fainted… "Excuse me, Kishina… Have you seen my mother?"-"Your… Your mother?" Kishina's eyes widened… Why am I so anxious…?**_

"_**Your mother was mortally wounded during the fight… It's almost a miracle she is still alive, she is on another cage, I'm sorry Nina…" Mother…! I'm… I need to see her!!! There must be a way…!**_

"_**Nina, please, calm down, you must remain alive… That is your mother's only desire… Don't let go wasting your life like that" I… mother…**_

"_**I waited there… with Kishina and the others… the long wait was killing me from the inside… All I wanted to do was to see my mother… In more than one occasion, I got discovered trying to get out of the cage… they savagely attacked me each time… I arrived to that place more dead than alive; the scar with the shape of an X was done there… A scary green haired woman, I think they called her Petrina… She was the one who gave me that scar… She was ruthless and unforgiving… She was my executioner every time I got punished…" Only thinking about that woman was enough to bring fear upon the heart of the young Laguz… Her eyes filled with tears… Remembering each punishment, she would cross her arms on her chest… The scar that woman left on Nina would remind her of her executioner's cruelty and hatred toward the Laguz…**_

"_**I… I had no idea" Mina was as shocked as me… Neither of us knew about Nina's past… I am very amazed myself…**_

"_**And it was only the beginning… What happened on that prison was something I would never forget… My people… Almost all of the prisoners died there… they were mutilated… twisted beyond any recognition… My nightmare started after I found that my mother died on the way to the prison… Those alchemists, they messed up with my people's bodies…"**_

"_**Nina…"**_

"_**You really don't have to tell us what happened there if you don't want, we would understand…" I say that… But very deep within myself I want to know… But I feel bad for Nina…**_

"_**No… I already say I would tell you… Isn't it?" Nina's faint smile tells me she is happy that we are concerned about her… Something inside me is begging me to tell Nina to stop… I don't really think her heart can resist it…**_

"_**Then, if you let me, I'm going to continue with my story…"**_

_**End of part 2…**_


	5. Traveling Tales A Laguz Tale 3

_**Wh… What happened…? It… It hurts…! It hurts just to breathe… My whole body is killing me…**_

"_**This one is a complete failure…" What… What have they done into me? Ouch…**_

"_**We'll have to sacrifice this Laguz as well" No… Wha…? Stop!! Where are you taking me to…? …I can't… breathe… My lungs are burning… I… everything is… going black…**_

* * *

_**A Laguz Story part 3… Travelling Tales…**_

* * *

_**The time passes slowly, as I lie there, rain drops dripping from the ceiling, mixing with the blood, I'm covered now in this disgusting mixture… next to my mother… Very few of the tribe still lives, many others are being taken to that room, I can hear them scream and cry in fear and agony… Sometimes, it makes me shivers… It's way too much for the ones that remain in this cell… Why us…? What did we do to deserve this…?**_

"_**Bring the next subject!!"**_

"_**Watch out!!" Huh…? –"It went berserk!!" Another one has escaped, huh? Serves them right… The soldiers are hopelessly entering that room… I'd like to hide my smile… But with all of those screams…**_

"_**YEEAARGH!!" A final scream comes from the room, is it already over…? She is coming out… It's… Kishina…?! She is not acting like herself… "Kishina, over here…!" She isn't listening… Why is she looking around frantically…? Is she hurt…? "Kishina, answer me!" Ahhh, she is finally turning back… W-What… What happened to her eyes…? "GRAAHH!!" Kishina… What have they done to her…? Agh…! Her claws are ready to kill… What am I going to do…? She is closing in…–"Kishina! Stop, what are you doing??" I shriek as she swings her claws at me, missing only by inches… Kishina is… trying to kill me…? She is wheezing and snorting like a wild animal… that viciousness in her eyes… She's lost it… I need to move, before she kills me! I leap back, trying to escape from Kishina's claws… She almost gets me… I can't keep up like this forever… Kishina suddenly bolts at me, and swings her blood-stained claws at me…!! I feel a powerful shock in my body as I fall right into the ground in a daze… My leg… it's… bleeding… I can only wince as Kishina bashes me toward the wall… Ouch, I… feel dizzy… Kishina… Aaaaaahh!! She has me cornered… Someone… help… "KISHINA!!" A slender figure darts at Kishina… Filisteo…! It's a hit! Filisteo walks right before me and stands there as Kishina staggers shaking her head… Filisteo creeps carefully at her… but a glance at Kishina's eyes makes him stop…"Kishina, please… stop it…!" Kishina has lost it… "Filisteo, Watch out!!" I try to warn him but, it's too late… Kishina's claws met Filisteo's face, he is hurt, I can see blood drops dripping from his face… In a hurry, Filisteo leaps back and shots himself at Kishina again, grunting as they both fell on the ground… "Sis… Stop it!!" She won't answer… She is struggling to get Filisteo off of her… She is nothing more than a… a monster, now…**_

_**Countless footsteps rocks through the corridor, soldiers are coming… Oh no… and that Petrine… She is coming too, I would recognize her footsteps anywhere…**_

_**The footsteps are getting louder… if they see me with Filisteo… They'll kill me… I can only curl into a corner or else… Uh oh… The first soldier came in… Looks like he is in a daze… His nervousness is evidenced as he clumsily unsheathes his sword… Is he biting his lip…? Suddenly, more soldiers enter the room followed closely by Petrine… "Out of my way, you useless piece of junk!" Petrine's crude words gave way for a forceful push that made the nervous soldier fall on his butt… Petrine's continues walking at the Laguz which were locked in fight… Suddenly coming to a stop, her eyes close, as she reaches for her weapon… Both brothers launch a howl, both impaled by black spear… their dying breathe make me shudder; only Petrine could be as cold-blooded as to kill both of them without any remorse…**_

"_**That sub-human; over there" Petrine's icy glare fixes on me… "Send it to the alchemists… Now" I… I can't believe it… It sent me chills down my spine… I was petrified by her gaze…**_

"_**Takeichi, you heard the commander grab it and go with the alchemists" The soldier who was on the ground jumped back up and with nods weakly… I ready my claws… I'll feel better if I kill at least one of them before they do something to me… His gaze is fixed on me… creeping closer with caution… his eyes are tearing up… what is with him? "**__**Sorry…**__**" Huh…? His lips just moved… but I couldn't hear anything… I just lie there… startled… his hand getting closer and closer to my face… If I were stronger I'd think of biting him now… but he'd just stab me back and it would be all over… "Oh fore the love of… I'll do it" The soldier's hand jumps, startled… The other soldier walks near… with a grin on his face… I scream as a kick takes the air out my lungs, I try to get up… I can't help but to stagger… he hit me pretty hard… Suddenly, the soldier pins me to the ground with his hand, my wincing face bring twice of a grin to his face… I grunt as the soldier chokes me to death with one hand and violently fists my body with the other…**_

_**After a minute or two, the soldier finally releases his tight grip on my neck… Getting up, the soldier kicks me one more time… "There, now take it to the alchemists" The soldier says to the first one… kicking my already battered body before the feet of the first soldier…**_

* * *

"_**Everything after that is a blur…" Nina says abruptly, "I can't remember what happened there, I was… too scared…" Nina's eyes are lost in her thoughts, something tells me she doesn't want to remember what happened with those alchemists… poor Nina…**_

* * *

_**I can't breathe… my body is burning… what's happening to me…? It hurts so bad… "Hey…" Who's that…? "Keep quiet… I'm going to get you out of here" His eyes… he seems familiar… "Don't worry; you are in good hands… Hold on a little longer" Somehow… I believe in him…**_

_**The soldier keeps running through the dark passages, his footsteps are like thunders in the silence of the night… All of the sudden, the soldier stops… I try to look what's going on, but my body still hurts… The soldier suddenly hushes me, "Don't move…"**_

_**He's started moving; fear has clearly taken over the situation… A bead of sweat rolls from his brow… "Hey, you" Someone says abruptly from behind us, making the soldier tremble, "You idiot, where are you taking that thing?" Shudders come down my spine, as I realize… That's Petrine's voice… Without moving a muscle, I try to look at the soldier who's carrying me… He's completely petrified…**_

"_**You worm, look at me when I talk to you" Suddenly, the soldier whips around… no, Petrine's hand made he turn around… "I'm just following orders" The soldier exclaims, "I'm going to dispose of this Laguz outside… The alchemists didn't want the rooms to get dirty with… her blood" The soldier grits his teeth… hoping for Petrine to buy it… A few seconds pass, and no answer, I'm feeling uneasy… "Hmph, fine… whatever, just get that sub-human out of my sight" Petrine finally says and turns back, "If I ever find you lied… I'll make sure you die like a dog…" She… She is gone… I wonder… she didn't make any sound… what a relief… ahh… My body … It convulses as the pain increases…**_

"_**We're almost at the exit… just hold on a bit more" The soldier stammers, now breathing heavily as he runs… I can feel it now… the cool wind of the outside night… Feels very good…**_

* * *

… _**Uhh… Where… where am I…? The floor is wet… What's going on…? I can hear metal clash and quick footsteps as though there was a fight happening just before me… My body… it still hurts like hell, but I overcome the pain and look around… The soldier, who saved me, is now lying on the ground, an enormous feral tiger is pinning him on the ground… Wait… that skin color… It's Likon!!**_

"_**L-Likon…" Likon immediately reacted to my voice… His eyes widened, suddenly, the soldier kicks Likon away and leaps back, however, he trips with a rock and crashes against the wall of this cave…**_

"_**Sister… What did he do to you…?" Likon asks, walking at my said, I groggily get up, my footing is still too unsteady, because of the pain shooting true my body in this moment, suddenly, I feel like if my feet were being stabbed and I fell automatically on the ground…**_

"_**N-nothing brother… he helped me…" Likon's face was of disbelief, as he looked over his shoulder to take a good look to the soldier who was still knocked out cold… when he turns back to me he is wearing his expressionless face, "I'll believe you because you're my sister… but don't think I'm gonna let my guard down with that human…" he suddenly adds, helping me to stand up… My feet are throbbing… After that, he kneels up and closes his eyes, as his body starts changing form, after some seconds, he is now standing on 2 feet; he is now a human…**_

"_**Hey you…" Likon exclaims, stretching his hand toward the soldier who is still sitting on the ground…**_

"_**Aren't you going to finish me…?"**_

"_**Not now… by my sister's request…" The soldier remains unfazed, just letting a small sigh out… "So then, you are going to take her away… isn't it?" Likon nods silently, and reaches me with his hand, surprisingly, I'm small enough for Likon to hold me with one hand… "Thank you…" Likon added, and with a swift jump, we head right into the darkness…**_

* * *

"_**I fell asleep on my brother's arms, eventually, my body changed slowly and very painfully, those soldiers played with my transformation, and broke it…" A faint smile is drawn in Nina's face, her eyes shimmer in the dim light of the cave… I knew next to nothing about Nina's past, but now… "My father felt he was in debt with the man who saved me from a certain death, and tried by all means to find him, as you might guess, we eventually found him, and my father did everything in his grasp to go and live near the man and his family… and bowed…" Nina just stopped mid-sentence… She seems to be racking her brain for some reason… "Bowed on the principle of protection" Nina says, her voice sounded a bit sad, I can tell, but she is smiling as well, and her cheeks have reddened…**_

"_**What's that?" I ask, ignorant of what that bow or principle of whatever is that thing…**_

"_**Bowing on that principle means that the one who made the bow and all of his bloodline successors will serve and protect to their new masters until the master's bloodline relatives and himself disappear or die" Mina's words echo through the cave and in my head… Nobody ever told me… I don't want to be Nina and Lethe's 'master', they are my family…**_

"_**That's right… and up until now; my brothers and I served you… and now that you are looking after us, Lethe and I are now officially your 'slaves'…"**_

"'_**But I don't want to be your master, I don't like that, you are my family… I cannot accept that" My hands are clenched… I don't want to drag Nina and Lethe into anything they don't like…**_

"_**Don't worry" Nina says, giving me a warm smile… "Lethe and I didn't have any objection… Lethe liked you, she always looked up to you like a big brother, the idea of being at your side and serving you was wonderful for her… even if she didn't fully understand the idea… and you look just like… that… person… I mean… I like you as well Koel…Please Koel… don't get upset by this… Lethe and I want to serve you, it's our wish…" She says that… but I can't agree; I don't like that…**_

"_**Well… that's about what happened…" Nina suddenly adds, her smile only brings a feeling of guilt…**_

_**Nina endured such dark events… I can't really know how she feels; I know her faith in humans hasn't been fully restored… as for Mina… She is perplexed; the story is a bit too much to swallow it whole right now… I myself can't believe what Nina had to undergo…**_

_**It's getting late… we better stay in here for the time being… I just wonder… what was my father doing with Daein's army? Maybe I'll never know…**_

"_**We'll be staying here, isn't it?" Nina asks from behind, I wipe some drops of sweat from my forehead… I still haven't caught up with my thoughts… I only nod weakly… and then my head quickly floods with these thoughts again… I don't see me getting any sleep tonight…**_

"_**Good night everyone!!" Nina's voice echo in the darkness… Sure, it will be a "nice" night… I'll stand guard near the entrance… Slaves… Dammit, this will be a long night… 'Now that you are taking care of us'… I'd like to know what Nina really thinks about this bow… Well… For now… I must take care of all of them… Good night… Heh…**_

_**End of "A Laguz story"…**_


	6. Travelling tales Tale of sealed spirits

… Travelling Tales…

**Due to some complains I've decided to take away the italics, don't expect me to take the bolds too, ya hear!! Anyways, now without any further delay… Here it is:**

**Tale of sealed spirits… Travelling Tales…**

**A small figure comes cautiously from the woods, slowly sneaking into a house which could easily rival a modest manor, the kid creeps closer into a window, looking around for any guard that would stop the kid's advance, his hand twitches twice before moving into the window's frame, however, as soon as he touches the frame of the window, he feels a sharp, stingy pain on his hand… "Sis…" The young boy mutters, his eyes are completely filled with tears, a sad look accompanies the rolling drops… a gruesome scene is set for him… but his eyes are fixed in only one thing…**

"**Bro… Brother" A girly voice replies from within… her body glistens with sweat in the dim light of the candles… a young child it is… "Please… get out of here…" Her eyes suddenly widen, a sharp pain in her back only adds to his worries, as she starts to breathe heavily, then letting out a long, painfully scream, the boy horrified takes a step back, clenching his fist and writhing his teeth, the boy finally turns back and disappears in the darkness of the night…**

**It's already been 2 days… and this whole thing of the 'Master' and 'slaves' still lingers in my head… Why didn't anyone tell me until now…? Maybe… because I would be against it… isn't it?**

"**Koel, are you sure there's a village north of the Hirin peaks?" Mina sudden question snaps me out of it… I only shake me head weakly and look over the shoulder, Mina's holding my father's map…**

"**Of course… don't you trust me?"**

"**You really want me to answer that?" Mina's eyes narrows as she gives me the evil eye… A few seconds passes and… she is still looking at me… Is… is she serious?**

"**Of course I do, ya dummy!" I sigh relieved… Mina can be sometimes really serious sometimes… anyways… I'm more worried about our money… I hadn't noticed until yesterday that we had spent already like half of the money… I might have to get a… Oof! My head… I just hit something…**

"**Ouch… Koel, be more careful…" Nina says as she rubs her head, "Nina, why did you stop so suddenly?" I say, rubbing my head as well… "Oh, that's right… you can't hear it" Nina mutters silently… "It's a bit too far, but I can hear someone is crying for help" Biting her thumb she closes her eyes and her cat-like ears suddenly twitch twice…**

"**He… He's in troubles!!" Nina suddenly shouts, a lot of anxiety in her voice, "Aaaaaaahh!!" A long, loud, painful scream breaks the silence… I can't help it, we must… "We must help him! Where is he?" This uneasiness I feel… "C'mon on!" Nina is already ahead of us, I look back at Mina, she is following closely enough with her bow already in her hands… I, too, have my reliable knife in my hands… "The kid is this way!" Nina says in a hurry as she suddenly turns to the right… It feels like an eternity, these woods seem endless… Wait, I can see a clearing right ahead… A strange pale light suddenly flashes for a moment or 2 as we continue forward… It feels a bit strange but we keep moving nevertheless…**

**As we come out of the forest, a scene is brought up to us, an almost unconscious kid is being taken by some men, 3 to be exact, closely followed by a beautiful auburn haired girl clad in a light black armor… "She is only a girl" Mina murmured under her breathe… "Let the kid go!" Nina shouts, giving away what could have been a surprise attack, "Nina, why did you do that?" I say, looking over my shoulder, only to find that Nina is gone, I whirl back to my right, Mina has disappeared as well… they… left me alone... well... I somehow wasn't expecting that but… come to think of it, I should have never brought them… none of them can really fight...**

"**Hmph, you worm don't have anything better to do, do you?" The fiery red haired girl said out coldly, 3 sets of feet suddenly make themselves heard as the 3 men rushed to engage in fight… huh…? Everything is moving so slowly… It's like if time is slowing to aid me… Suddenly I snap back to reality, as I crouch I hear the whistle of the sword cutting through the air, cutting 3 of my hairs as it passed above my head… I slash at my attacker, and leap to a side, the man comes crumbling to the ground, breathing a lung-full of air, before passing away…**

**The smell of blood… my hands are all bloodied up… This scent is… intoxicating… "GOT YA!!" Before I can react… my body is sent flying into the air, as though I was floating, I look at the sky, my arm hurts the same as my head as I come crashing into the ground, I quickly jump to my feet, and as soon as I fix my fighting stance, I spot the 2 men are about to attack again, and I find my chance to retaliate… I roll on the ground, swiftly avoiding the 2 silver blades and ending behind both fighters… Didn't expect that, did you…?**

**What? They are laughing at me? I turn back, two massive fists meet my face, and my consciousness and my awareness fade away for moments as I stagger. A brutal kick lands yet again on my face, I fall on the ground in pain as I look at the blurry red sky above me.**

… **My nose is bleeding and I can taste the flavor of blood in my mouth as well… I try to squirm to my feet, everything is foggy, and I can only make out the shadowy figures of the trees around me… Where are them…? Agh!! What's this…? I struggle as I find myself hanging a couple of feet from the ground, frantically gasping trying to get life-giving air into my lungs, I can feel my neck is about to break under this soldier's grip… "Are you… one of the 8 earth seals?" Suddenly asks the sapphire-blue eyed girl, question after which the soldier's grip suddenly loosens… "You are a shame for all of us… and still…" What's going on…? Her eyes just changed… a feline glance in her big shining golden eyes… I must… Huh? My… legs… I can't feel them… No… it can't be… They cut off my legs…!**

"**You must be quite special… if my sister chose you" When…? How…? It hurts so bad I can't focus at all… "I'll let you live… this time… but…" The hypnotizing golden glow in her eyes slowly fades away, leaving her former deep-blue colored pupils in their place… "Good night young Koel, Seal of dangerous ways, I look forward with great anxiety the day this land's story ends by your very own hands" She is reaching my face with her hand… Wearing a shy smile as her face reddens a bit, "Seems sis was right… you are special" She suddenly mutters… closing shyly at my face, touching my lips with hers… She is kissing me… Wh-why…? It's like… like if it was her first time… She just… this… the pain is excruciating… I can't breathe… there's a lot of blood gushing out from my chest… The coldness of the metal inside of my body… She is enjoying it… My senses are fading… I'm blacking out… I'm…**

"**Gah!" What was… that just now…? Was that just a dream? It was so real… Those words… eight Earth… seals?**

**What's this lying on the ground; it's wrapped in a ravaged, old piece of cloth… It's a ruby dagger… it has incrusted a green gem in its golden grip… Suddenly, a piece of paper gently drifts into the air before landing on the ground; it says "Seal of destruction" What does this means? The air is whispering something; although barely audible I think it's some sort of the weak mutters… It's calling me; it's not that clear but… I can tell it's my name…**

**This is so weird… Maybe I was truly asleep… but what in the blazes is doing this dagger here?**

"**Koel?" The sudden call takes my mind out of its thoughts, looking over the shoulder, I spot Mina…**

"**Is it already morning?" Nina says from behind, uncurling herself and getting up, it was a dream… but what about this dagger…?**

"**It's already morning… What a bummer, I wanted to sleep a bit more…" I wish I could say the same as Nina but, that dream… it was way too real… It will do naught to worry about it… sigh…**

* * *

"**We are running low on supplies… We should buy something too eat at the next village" Beads of cold sweat run down my cheeks as Mina talks**

"**Yeah… we should…" If only Mina knew that we are almost broke… I must find a job real soon or we'll begin to starve to death in about a couple of days…**

"**Koel… what's the matter?" I can't let Mina worry too much, she is already ill, and taking care of us isn't helping one bit either…**

"**It's nothing, I was just thinking"**

"**About what Nina told us… isn't it?" She is still a bit upset about it… It took me by surprise too, a tale a bit too hard to swallow all at once…**

"**It's been bothering me, it's true… but I'm completely opposed to it… Nina is our friend… I don't like her to call herself a slave…"**

"**You really mean it, huh? You were always kind-hearted, Koel… But I though for a moment, after Nina called you her "master"… for a moment I really though you were some sort of…"**

"…"

"**Please forgive me… I was such a fool to think you… I" She really means it… Mina…**

"**Are you guys talking about me?" Nina suddenly pops out from nowhere, scaring Mina and me to death… Huh? What's that on Nina's back?**

"**Hah, did I scare you guys?" Nina says with a playful smile, as I get up, I can't help but to wonder what is Nina carrying…**

"**Nina, what's that on your back…?"**

"**Oh, right, Lethe found this kid lying on the ground not too far from here, he seemed fine to me, but Mina would know better, isn't it?"**

"**Um… Well, thank you Nina…" I can only help to smile at the sight of Mina blushing, however only lasting very few for me to chuckle under my breath. "Alright, let's see him" Mina finishes quickly as I help her to stand up, Nina nodded and took the body of a young kid, I'd say about 10 years old…**

"**Why would…"-"He be in this place?" Suddenly Mina interrupts that serious look on her face can only mean something bad. "We won't find out Koel, we better take him to that town you mentioned earlier" She finishes, looking back at the unconscious kid**

"**How is that? Is he sick?"**

"**He's been poisoned…" P-poisoned? Who would poison a kid?**

"**Koel…" Mina suddenly calls out quietly, like talking to herself**

"**What's the matter?"**

"**Nothing…" Is she ok? Come to think of it, she looks a bit pale…**

"**Mina, you look tired, you alright?" So Nina noticed too…**

"**It's nothing; I just couldn't sleep very well… Someone, was kicking on my head every once in a while…" Heh, she says, staring at Lethe who is… patting the kid with a stick…**

"**He is alive, isn't it?" That's…**

"**He won't be, unless we take him to a hospital by the end of the day" Mina says coldly as she gives me the kid, I just hope we're not to far, father wasn't too accurate drawing maps…**

* * *

"**Seems they found him"**

"**But sir, why couldn't we just go there and get 'em"**

"**You just lack the capability to understand what's going to happen next"**

"**They'll take that runt to a hospital, so what?"**

"**We still possess his sister, which is all you need to know"**

"**Sir…"**

"**Those kids will come here and the preparations will be complete… This country will burn down with the impending war…"**

* * *

**Nothing seemed to happen while we travelled toward Doudem village, but, lots of thoughts loom in my head, and now, this kid… Why do I have a bad feeling about all of this…? Things will change for the worst, I'm sure…**

"**What's the matter?" Lethe asks quietly, looking at me with her big, cheerful eyes… I can't look at her and not feel guilty, I feel so anxious…**

"**Kolly?" Please Lethe… don't look at me now…**

"**Nina, what's up?" The sudden shout startles me a bit as I see Nina coming back, that smile can only mean something good, god I do hope we are near the town…**

**A good night of sleep will make up for this trying trip… All that has happened, somehow I think this is some kind of trial… but if it was like that, Mina and the girls would have stayed out of all of this… I try to take a nap… wishing for this sour test of the goodness to stop once and for all…**

**End of "Tale of sealed spirits"**


	7. Travelling Tales Tale of siblings

**Tale of siblings… Travelling tales…**

* * *

**This time the story will be told by Remy…**

"**Remy, ****you know what kind of flower is this?" Mother says gently holding a beautiful flower in her hands… Those colors…**

"**It's a Catleia Isabella"**

"**Like sister!"**

"**That's right, and like this flower, she is very fragile"**

"**That's not true, sister's very strong!"**

"**That's what she wants you to believe, but the truth is, she is fragile; please Remy, take care of your sister when I depart…"**

"**Mother?"**

"… **Wake up…"**

* * *

"**He's waking up!****" Mother…**

"**Are you feeling alright?" What happened? My body feels heavy… Someone is besides me…**

"**Good, your fever is gone" Huh…?**

"**Mother…?"**

"**What…?" Wait… she… she isn't mother, who is she?**

"**Did he just call you mother?" Who is that guy?  
**

"**I think he did… What's your name kid?"**

"**My name… Remy" She looked just like mother… Was I imagining things?**

"**That's a cute name" ****…Her voice sounds just like…**

"**My name is Mina" It's too hard to swallow, she looks exactly like her, except for the eye and hair color…**

"**Uhm…**** is something wrong?"**

"**NO, nothing I just… you look just like… like mother…"**

"… **Like your mother…?" She is a bit confused… maybe I shouldn't have said that…**

"**Anyways, tell us, what did those men wanted with you?" She suddenly asks, I only stare in a daze as I try to remember, my head pounds so hard just trying to put everything together... They… Isabella… They wanted us to…**

"**They need my sister and me for a… experiment…"**

"**What kind of experiment?"**

"**They wanted to 'enhance' our powers" **

"**Your sister? And where is she….?"**

"**They hold her captive somewhere in****side Father's manor…" That man… he was the one who saved me, isn't it?**

"**It's decided, after you get better, we'll go and rescue your sister"**

"**For real?"**

"**Yup"**** It seemed he could care less at first… he seems laid-back and all that... can I really trust him?**

* * *

**These**** guys are amazing, a complete band with 2 Laguz, a healer of sorts and a thief; it's just like those mercenary bands… Come to think of it… We'll they make me pay for their services…?**

"**You look a bit doubtful… Is something wrong?" This guy... Koel, I think, he isn't annoying but something about him rubs me the wrong way…**

"… **Uhm… Are you some kind of… mercenaries?"**

"**Say what? No, nothing like that, it just looked like you needed a bit more of help, so here we are" So they aren't mercenaries…**

"**Remy… Which one's your house?" Mina says, coming to a stop, I think Father's place is around here, but I never walked out this far… now was it left or right… Hmm, I can't remember**

"**Perhaps it's the big one on the hill…" The child Laguz says with a mischievous smile… Why, she is right!**

"**Remy's scent came from that direction, so it was only deduction…" She giggles a lot… a bit annoying if you ask me…**

"**That's the house, indeed****"**

"**Fine, you just wait here; I'll get your sister" What?**

"**Not a chance****. You'll get lost inside the manor; you must take me with you!"**

"… **Fine, as long as you stay out of troubles"**** He finally says with a long sigh, as he lifts his glare at the manor house. I feel a bit uncomfortable though... I can't shake the feeling something's not right...**

"**How are we supposed to break into the building?"**

"**We'll figure that when we arrive there…" … Is he for real? Something like this shouldn't be taken so lightly, if anything goes wrong...  
**

* * *

"**I'm back" ****Koel says as he comes from one of the grass walls to the manor**

"**It's exactly as I expected, those guys are stationed all around the entrance, only 2 soldiers are guarding the sides, I alone could easily break from the back, but..." Why is he staring at me like that…**

"**I think we can make it from the sides, but Remy, you'll have to follow closely, got it?"**

"**Got it" ****With that said, he quickly jumped the wall flowering swiftly, I put my arms in front to cover my face as I walk through the hedge which surprisingly doesn't resist at all, it's like the flowers were making a path for me to cross…**

"**Stay low" Koel suddenly whispers slowly as I come out, the first thing I spot is Koel, holding with a hand a stunning dagger… just like… the one... he... was holding…**

"**Hold on a bit, I'll take care of the guard" He adds, as he tightens his grip on the dagger and creeps silently into the distracted soldier, only imagining what he is about to do make chills run down my spine… I close my eyes for a moment; as a painful grunt is let loose…**

"**Alright, the coast is clear" ****Koel says bare moments before jumping through the window… That guard… Koel didn't kill him…?**

**As ****I make it through the window I notice Koel, who is now looking from right to left… I can only imagine what he is going to say as he turns back**

"**Alright Remy, where to?" Koel finally says, rubbing his head in a total confusion as he looks down at me… Well, we entered from the left garden… Um…**

"**To the right, I guess"**

"**You sure?"**

"**Huh… Not really" Koel's eyes already show hesitation, what if we wander into a trap because of me…!**

"**C'mon Remy, don't fall behind" Mina suddenly reaches my hand with her's… Walking through the hallways in the dim light of the few candles is a bit hard without tripping on anything… All the shadows here seem to be dancing around us… is awfully creepy…**

"**Someone is coming! Quickly, this way" Koel suddenly says, pulling me hastily from my wrist as we enter into the nearest room… Panting and gasping, all of us quickly look for a hiding, I quickly dive below a table and, in matter of seconds, Mina hid under the table just at my side… the thundering sound of a pair of footsteps made themselves clear through the deathly silent night… Father's library… It was here…**

* * *

"**Huh… Father? What are you looking at?"**

"**Oh, Remy, I didn't see you standing there, did Elise finished playing with you"**

"**Yes" Father's holding something in his hands… It's a book…**

"**What are you reading father?"**

"**Hmm, this… it's a magic tome, I though I could use some magic to make things easier around the house"**

"**But things are already easy in the house with Elise, Flint, Herring, and Janice around!"**

"**That's right… but I just… hmm… Remy, would you like to learn magic too?"**

"**That would be splendid, father!"**

"**Then come here, and pay attention…"**

* * *

**You wanted to prevent all of this****, isn't it… Father?**

"**I though I heard something… It must have been a rat…" An old looking soldier grumbles as he closes the door…**

"**Looks like he is gone…" ****Mina says crawling out from under the table… It's weird… Father, did you try to…?**

* * *

"**Enough for toady, you did great Remy" Father says, patting my head playfully, still… he looks kind of sad…**

"**Is there anything wrong father?"**

"**Oh, it's nothing…" He says letting out a long sigh… "Remy, can you…"**

"**Master Remy!" A voice shouts from the afar, it appears to be Janice…**

"**Go Remy, when you finish your tasks, go see me at the library"**

"**Alright Father"**

* * *

"**It might be just a hunch, ****but I think there was some kind of battle in here" I snap out of it at Koel's words, he is staring at some black spots that dots all the floor and the library's walls as well…**

"**Do you know what happened Remy?"**

"**I… I don't know…" It was here... My father… and that blue-haired man…**

* * *

**Oh shoot, I'm late… ****I hope father doesn't get mad at me…**

"**I already told you… I won't do it" Huh? What's happening…? There's my father… but who is that man…**

"**If that's your final decision…"**

"**It is" Father says defiantly at him, slowly reaching with his hand something under his coat  
**

"**It can't be avoided then…"**

"**Bring it…"**

* * *

**It was because all those ****cursed seals… how do those seals relate to Isabella and I?**

"**Hey, what's this?"**

"**Wow, it's a magic fire tome!" That's father's tome… what is it doing here? I though it was… outside…**

"**What the…? These spells are way too advanced!" Mina sounds… Father learnt all and every one of the spells in this book… He barely used any, though**

* * *

"**Father!" Fearfully I scream, looking as my father is knocked away again by that blue haired thug.**

"**It's as I said… You'd die because of that promise of yours…"**

"**I won't let you take my children! I know what you are going to do to them; you're going to change them as those 2 laguz folks back in Gallia, that heron gal and the beast lad… I know what you and those alchemists of yours are doing, cursed double-crossing scum!"**

"**I'm not stopping, I'll take both kids whether you like it or not"**

"**You…!"**

"**Be gone…" F…father…! Father's death! That monster just killed him… I… I…**

* * *

"**I see you came back…"**

"**Huh?" That voice wasn't them's... I slowly turn around, as my neck clenches up, I can feel it, something bad is going to happen...  
**

"**It's time for you to become a seal too…"**

"**Wha…!" I can't move! He's caught me… and I can't even… cry for help this time…**

"**KOEL! Remy is…!" Mina suddenly cries, finally noticing the man lifting me into the air**

"**What?! You come back…" Koel suddenly jumps into the air and stretches his arm at me… He's… disappeared? What happened? Where am I? It's so dark I can't see anything… I'm starting to feel tired… It's so cold here… Is this what it feels to die?**

**End of**** "Tale of siblings"**


	8. Travelling Tales Tale of bonds

**Tale of bonds… Travelling tales…**

* * *

"**No!!" Remy screams as I give chase through the room, jumping to the table and next to one the library's shelves, the fear on Remy's face only adds to my worries as I find no more places where to step on.**

"**Remy!" The girls shriek, dammit, I need to find something to step on or I'll… Oh no, too late…**

"**Why won't you use your newly gained skills, seal of destruction?" What is that blue-haired weirdo talking about? Huh? Did I finally step on something? No time to wonder I have to… I quickly return my attention toward the floating man... What? Where is that guy?**

"**Koel? What are you doing?" Why is Mina so worried about me…? Wha…? How did I…? When? I'm floating in the air! Well, more precisely, stepping on it…**

"**How did you do that?" The girls are as astounded by this as I am…**

**This thing of the seals is getting weirder and weirder all of the sudden… I was stepping on thin air for some seconds… before I fell on the ground and crushed my butt in the crash… However, we now must find Remy and his sister… I can't believe nobody, not even Nina or Lethe, noticed his presence until it was too late… It was like if he had just warped here…**

"**Koel, you know where you're heading to, right?" Mina says with increasing anxiety… but the truth is…**

"**Not really, I just figured we could check all the rooms in our way, and see if we could find something" I gulp as I say that… peeking over the shoulder, I see Mina's face, she's gone completely pale all of the sudden…**

"**You're not kidding, are you?"**

"**I wish I was… Even if I have to fight, we promised to help Remy after all…" And now that's a promise I intend to fulfill…**

"**I guess is okay, then, I believe you will protect us"**

"**Someone's coming" Nina says with anxiety, I can only guess it's a soldier in a patrol, it's bad, Nina nor Mina can fight at all, and I don't want to expose Lethe to danger, she isn't strong and is too light, she could get hurt pretty easily…**

"**Mina, you and the others get out of the mansion, and try to see if they're not taking the kids somewhere else"**

"**Ok, try not to get yourself killed, please" I can see it on Mina's eyes, she knows about it as well. Mina looks sad though… What will they do if I don't come back…?**

"**Koel… Be careful…" Mina mutters quietly, I look at her as she follows Nina and Lethe, who are now ways from here… Turning around, I notice a weird bulk creeping closer along with the shadows engulfing this corridor; I'm not alone yet… I look in shock as a humongous image appears before me from the dark hallway, "Be gone!!" The enormous thug suddenly bellows swinging his arm as thick as my torso at me with great strength; however I quickly leap back avoiding what could possibly be a death blow, it was too close for my taste…**

**I take a deep breath, noticing now that another giant is now standing behind me… The fear devours me, wondering how something this fucking big could creep up on me, their hollow laughs only adds to my worries… Damn it… I must calm down… I'm too freaked out… the bloodcurdling look in their eyes… What am I going to do…?**

"**Argh!!" I cry out in pain as my body rises into the air, I didn't even notice when he began to move… they are way too fast… "Gah…!" My… my stomach… I can't breathe… The man in front of me just knocked me out… and his clenched fist as now buried… deep into my stomach… The pain is… unbearable… I fall into the marble floor, coughing up in pain… trying to recover from such blow; I can even taste the blood in my mouth… It hurts so bad…**

**My knife… No… It must've slipped from… my hand when I was bashed into the air… These guys are just going to beat me to death…**

**My vision is foggy; I don't think I can stand another hit like that… I can hear them… they're coming for me… I close my eyes trying to "hear" where they're coming from, finally I hear a footstep, however it's too late, as I open my eyes and turn to face my assailant I find a giant fist…**

**The fight continues, as a massive arm swings right at my face, I quickly dive to the ground, hoping not to get hit, however, I realize with a fist sinking deep into my stomach that the second guy is there as well…**

**Dammit, that last punch took the air out of me… I don't think I can stand another hit like that… I think to myself, before another blow sent me into the air, everything is getting blurry, there's something pouring on my eyes… I think its blood…**

**I have to do something real fast or they'll get me for good… As I turn around I spot my opportunity, I leap into the air, trying to outmaneuver both behemoths, jumping from side to side, and doing somersaults sporadically all so those 2 won't catch me, finally, I land behind them and turn toward them… What? Where…? Where are they…? I could swear I saw them just before I stopped…**

**They just vanished… I have a bad feeling about this… I try to concentrate, but this almost painfully silence is driving me nuts… What did I get myself into this time…?**

"**Oof!!" Shoot, I lost my focus… my arm dangles as I leap back, it took one of their punches to break it apart… beasts… they are beasts… dang, I can't fight back like this… it would just take a… Agh…!!**

**Blood shots into my mouth as a giant fist rams against my stomach again, and again, every time stronger than the last one… A savage last hit lands on me, sending me up into the air… I can't think of anything this time… I think I might as well just give up… An intense pain shoots through my body, as one of them presses my back against his humongous knee… I grit my teeth as he presses harder, I think my back is going to break any moment now… No…! I heard something snap just now… and the pain is near unbearable now…**

**I fall to the ground with a great thud, my back hurts so bad… I fear it might be broken… Looking at the ceiling I can only hope for a miracle… although this time… I know none will happen… Please… don't let me die here… The pain suddenly becomes unbearable, as one of my slaughterers lies his foot on my back, shattering what's left of my severed bones…**

**With delight I realize that my knife it's just inches away from my reach, I quickly shoot my hand to get it, however, blood frothed from my mouth as my belly was effortlessly crushed beneath his foot, my body quickly becomes numb, and I end submerged in an agony daze, I feel like I'm going to puke my own intestines…**

**I must reach my knife… I squirm trying to reach my knife, I grit my teeth… as my executioner applies even more weigh on his crushing foot, I fill with hope as my hand finally get hold of the golden stiletto… However, all my strength suddenly vanishes in a painful tow, as my body rises into the air… my lethargic body suddenly becomes numb due to the intense pain, and I then met the ground face-first… the man then continued to wave my body around like a whip, each crash with the ground leaves me completely shocked, I try to do anything at all but my body won't respond… and with each pull, I feel like my legs are just going to detach from my body…**

**Suddenly, I feel my body is embraced with some kind of strength… it feels like when Nina and Lethe were in danger… and this power feels so… familiar…**

**I see my opportunity, as my body passes overhead the man waving me around I lunge at him the knife, with his own speed, the knife slices the man's throat wide open, as I fly feet away from him, and crash my body with the marble walls…**

**My body is far from okay… but cutting that man's neck felt so relieving… I finally know they aren't beyond Ashera's might… But now… I don't think the other one will give me the chance to hit… Not that I can move now anyways…**

**He comes right at me with that killer glare on his eyes, I try to move, but I find myself convulsing in pain as I try to move my legs, I grit my teeth as I realize I'm done for… I let down everybody… darn it… I just screwed everything up… what am I gon… Agh…!**

**I try to take a deep breathe, seeing at the man's hand moving fast toward my neck, but does naught as a brutal hit lands on my stomach as I'm lifted from the ground by the neck, I feel how he tightens his grip more and more, everything starts going black in no time…**

**I try to focus but it's of no use… The pain takes over my body, as I try frantically to reach for my father's combat knife… all the way down to my boots… I somehow overcome the pain and get my legs to move, at least enough to let me grab my salvation, just as I think I've reached it, the immense brute sinks his fist into my stomach… Bloods froths from my mouth as my body becomes numb again… I however manage somehow to reach my knife, which just won't unsheathe… Dammit, my leg… I can't…**

**Then, just as the knife unsheathes, I launch a lightening quick slash and repeat again and again, desperate as I'm already low on oxygen… Before long, I fall on the ground making a loud racket as I come about crashing into the ground… And so the encounter finished… I feel relieved, but at the same time hopeless… lying on the ground… almost delirious with the pain… How am I going to explain this to mister Reguriar and the others…?**

"**What a disappointment…" That voice…**

"**As a seal, you should have been able to defeat them in matter of seconds… Yet, you're now at the brink of death…" This guy… When did he arrive…? It's like… he just floated around, just like the guys back there…**

"**What… are you talking… about?" Shoot… It hurts to breathe…**

"**Didn't Lien or Cassandra tell you?" Who…? He isn't talking about… Those two… Come to think of it… His armor does look like theirs… and yet, there's something different about him…**

"**No? Hmm, what were they intending to do with you?"**

"**Who are…? Agh…! Who are you people anyways?"**

"**Well, it is my obligation to tell you… since they didn't… But first …" …? What is he going to do?**

"**Hold on…" What's happening…? This blue aura… It's cold? He is healing me… But… why?**

"**There, you should be feeling better now, now follow me…"**

"**Why did you…?"**

"**Doesn't matter… Nevertheless, what I'm going to tell you IS important" His eyes… That golden glow in his eyes… he is one of them, isn't it?**

"**You might have guessed by my appearance, I'm related with the other 2 girls you met… The 3 of us are your "guardians"… We were created to protect the Seal of destruction…"**

"**And that would be me… huh? I'm so important that you try to kill me every once in a while"**

"**Don't get ahead of yourself… You are not important to us at all… What you hold inside of you is what matters… The seal itself, which Lien implanted on your very soul. And it's our obligation to see that the host develops at 100 the abilities granted by the seal. You and the other seals…"**

"**There are more like me?"**

"**Yes… in fact, 2 of the other seals are right here in this mansion…" Don't tell me the 2 seals are…**

"**When the eight seals develop all of their abilities, the next step in… their design will be revealed… You should have been able to create large fireballs without any need of magic tomes by now… But you didn't use them, why?"**

"…"

"**So you don't know how to use them? What a predicament… Our expectation were high, at least mine… I wonder what Lien saw in you…" Now I'm pissed off… And I don't know whether to believe this crap or not… It feels so wrong, all of this…**

"**Anyhow, now that you know the purpose of this little game of ours… I have a request for you… the guardians of the young seals are to complete a very important task set in another place… You might not be powerful… but that kid will follow you anywhere, even to death itself if you asked him…"**

"**Well, well, here we are, I'll leave now, take care of the seals on our behalf…"**

"**Wait…!" He's gone, and I just blinked, who are these people…? This is just too complicated… What…? This door… I didn't see it here before… I'm just going crazy, am I not?**

**I better check it out…**

**The door opens with a creak, as I enter the feebly illuminated room, at the end of the room I can distinguish 2 figures… one is Remy… the other one… that girl must be Remy's sister… Huh?! Blood is coming out of both of their chests… This is… the other seals… Darn it, I must get them out of here and fast…**

**What the hell is this ritual about…? This is all so screwed up… And why, these two of all the people… I need to stop this… before I destroy anyone else's life… I'll figure it out somehow… I surely will**

"… **Koel… You came…" Remy suddenly muttered with a low and weak voice… before closing his eyes… I hate this… because it's my entire fault…**

**End of Tale of Bonds…**


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